Author bios on glossy book jackets give the illusion that a writer climbed to the top of the literary profession in heroic, purpose-filled strides. One New Yorker staff writer turned that creation myth upside down in an interview. Today's guest on the Morning Media Menu was David Grann, a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine and the author of and The Lost City of Z. Grann discussed his new...

We think of jihadism as a modern creation, but the 19th-century anarchist movement was equally nihilistic

There are books that can never escape the circumstances of their creation. Suicide is one of them. French artist and author Edouard Levé submitted the manuscript of his novel on October 5th, 2007; three days later his editor at Editions P.O.L. called to tell him that he was utterly captivated by it, and they arranged to meet on the 18th to discuss publication. The meeting was not to be.Hugo...

Watch this awesome video from Tor.com as Greg Manchess creates his ebook cover for Robert Jordan’s Lord of Chaos in time lapse. So awesome! Great music as well as excerpts from the audiobook makes this one of the best pieces of promotional material I have ever seen! Here is an extended version: Related posts:Video: Sam Weber ...

Are You Willing to Give a Vook a Try?  I’ve mentioned Vooks here before, but I think it’s time for an update. About a year ago, Brad Inman started Vook, a creation that combines videos and photos with text. Vooks basically strive to make reading a multimedia experience. They are currently available online and as downloads

Little Cody Bockman disappeared on a rainy morning. So begins the second installment in F. Paul Wilson's series about the teen years of his most famous creation, Repairman Jack. While it certainly isn't necessary to be familiar with the adult version of Jack to enjoy these books, I have to admit that that's their main appeal for me.  Yes, there's secret societies and worldwide conspiracies and ...

Before I share my thoughts it's important to me that those of you who are authors understand I am not attacking your books. Your cover is not your book. It's not your story and in most cases it's not your creation. I am writing this post because I believe your publishers are selling your stories and your market potential short. I believe you could be reaching a wider audience. I am ...

Don't know how every book industry blog on the planet missed this news yesterday but... Random House - which has always been smart and forward-thinking in the way they handle licensed media - has formed a brand-new transmedia intellectual property group. Transmedia is a catch-all term for story content that can be accessed through multiple media sources including video games, social networks ...

I mentioned recently that I’ve decided to join the four-month challenge, part 3, which runs starting from March 1st. Here are the categories and what I’ve decided to read or am thinking about reading for each: 5 Point Challenges Read a book by an author you’ve never read before The Creation of Eve, by Lynn Cullen Read a book with a one word title Avalon, by Anya Seton Read a book...

Are You Willing to Give a Vook a Try?  I’ve mentioned Vooks here before, but I think it’s time for an update. About a year ago, Brad Inman started Vook, a creation that combines videos and photos with text. Vooks basically strive to make reading a multimedia experience. They are currently available online and as downloads ...