Publishing is NOT dead!

The methods may be changing, but the addiction to reading seems to be growing according to the Association of American Publishers (AAP).

"Book sales in November rose 10.9%, to $808.5 million, at publishers who reported to the Association of American Publishers. Sales for the year through November rose 4.9%.

Among categories:

E-books exploded 199.9%, to $18.3 million.
Audiobooks jumped 69%, to $18.4 million.
Adult hardcover rose 26.9%, to $204.4 million.
Higher education rose 24.2%,, to $197.1 million.
University press hardcover rose 21.9% to $5.4 million.
El-Hi basal and supplemental K-12 jumped 18.4%, to $136.9 million.
University press paperback climbed 2.7%, to $4.2 million.
Professional and scholarly rose 2.7%, to $57.1 million.
Children's/YA paperback inched up 1%, to $43.9 million.
Religious books were flat, at $48.7 million.
Adult paperback fell 3%, to $92.3 million
Adult mass market dropped 9.8%, to $53.2 million.
Children's/YA hardcover fell 13.5%, to $63.9 million." - as published in Shelf Awareness .

Exciting, isn't it?

Honor the memory, but continue to live.

It's raining today. I turned on the television, but then promptly shut it off. I haven't forgotten and I never will.

Instead of being glued to the news, as I was seven years ago, I will take advantage of a day without children underfoot. I have lots of ideas for blog posts, a fantastic mystery to finish reading, a book review to write and a double batch of chocolate chip cookies to make. That should keep me busy until the kids arrive home around 3 pm.

In my way, I will honor the life, and lives, gifted to me. I will hug my boys a little longer when they come in the door. I will curl up next to my husband when I crawl into bed tonight. I will text my daughter the words "I love you." I will be present in the moment, because it is the only one that truly exists.

First day of the school year - 2008

All around the United States, stay-at-home and work-at-home Moms are breathing a sigh of relief right about now. Summer is fun, but it's really nice to send the kids off to school to fill their brains with knowledge, and get back to some semblance of normalcy.

I've already taken a shower (in a blissfully empty house), started a load of laundry and washed a sink full of dishes. I will be using the rest of my quiet time to straighten up and organize my office, finish reading Shadow of Colossus by T. L. Higley and quite possibly write a query letter or two. Blog Stop took what little time I had over the summer, so I REALLY want to get back to a bit of freelance writing.

Dealing with loose ends.

Thursday seems to have become my day for catching up. So far today I've scheduled dates for book reviews for August, run to the hardware store, read some of the book I'm reviewing next week, washed dishes and run a load of laundry through the wash. And, oh yeah, read a bunch of blog posts that I subscribe to through Google Reader.

I still have things to get done today. Look for a blog post tomorrow about the new thing I'm trying out this month at Blog Stop Book Tours. The name of it is Author Talks!

Bedside Table Books

Quite a list this week...

• Ready, Aim, Specialize - Create Your Own Writing Specialty and Make More Money by Kelly James-Enger (for review)


• Apologies Forthcoming by Xujun Eberlein (for review)


• The 7 Triggers To Yes by Russell H. Granger (for review)


• Death of a Darklord by Laurell K. Hamilton (for fun)


• Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (for fun, and maybe review)


• Song of Ireland by Juilene Osborne-McKnight (for fun)


• Tipperary by Frank Delaney (for fun)

Young Adult Genre

I am currently reading two Young Adult genre books. I could not put one of them down last night. I read until just after midnight and had to force myself to stop.

I've said before that I'll read anything as long as the writing and the story are good. If it pulls me in, I will devour it. Asking me what genre I favor is like asking me what music is my favorite.

Do you read YA books? Do you have a favorite?

Workin' for a livin'...

Today is shaping up to be a busy day. Research for a new project, writing an article, reading (3 books have come in for review), setting up blog drafts and I have a sick kid home from school. Luckily, the sick kid is the oldest and won't require much of me.

If you're interested, check out what Harper Collins is doing. It's a new form of promotion for book sales.

I'm off to work. Ciao.

Blogging Bookworms... I need you!

So many books, not nearly enough time.

That's right folks, I'm looking for avid readers, who also blog, and are interested in reviewing books. If this intrigues you, comment here or email me.

And since it's Friday, my bedside table books are:

• Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
• The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book by Patricia Fry

Friday 1/25/08 Bedside Table Books

These are the books I see when I wake up.

• Marwan: The Autobiography of a 9/11 Terrorist - Aram Schefrin (finished reading yesterday, for review)
• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West - Gregory Maguire (to be read, just because)
• Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk (to be read, on recommendation from both my teenagers)
  

Oh, really?

Saturday, I was standing in the book section at Target, trying to hunt down a title. There was a young woman looking intently at the bottom shelf at books by Philippa Gregory. She sighed and said, sort of under her breath, "I don't know which one was released first."

I picked up a copy to see if there was a list in the front of the book, but there wasn't. She said she'd have to look it up at Google. I volunteered that I review books on my blog. She looked at me and said "Oh? Really? So do I."

It seems to me that even with all the articles out there about the art of reading dying a slow death, I run into readers all over the place. And not only readers, but people who LOVE books, enough to share their thoughts and opinions about them with the entire world.

Hmmmm...something to ponder, I suppose.

America's Most Literate Cities

According to a study by Central Connecticut State University, I live within an hour drive of two of America's most literate cities - Minneapolis being first and St. Paul, third. If you'd like to know more, click here and here. And if you read nothing else about this, read what the St. Paul Pioneer Press has to say about it.

The Golden Compass

There has been a lot of press about the movie The Golden Compass. It was released to theatres on December 7. The movie is based on the book of the same name, written by Philip Pullman.








Pullman is an atheist, and some clergy have been telling people not to see this movie, as its agenda is to turn children away from God. I finished reading the book this weekend, as part of the three books in the series.

It's an amazing story. Once upon a time, in an alternate world, there was a little girl. This little girl was "chosen" to save her world from destruction, and by default, every other world. Her adventures lead her to her biological parents, new worlds, new friends and new understanding. I had tears in my eyes toward the end of book three.

What I came away with is that faith is never a terrible thing, but when people use the power of religion for evil, it's still evil, no matter whose name you invoke to justify the action.

Bedside Table Books

Well, it's Friday. Wait, where did the week go?!

My plan for the weekend is to get caught up on reading. I have a stack of magazines to get through, and two books to read for review.

The books on my bedside table are as follows...

• Blogging Heroes - Michael A. Banks
• Bad Girls Club - Judy Gregorson
• His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
• Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer

I hope to finish Blogging Heroes tonight, and His Dark Materials tomorrow morning. I expect six more books to trickle in via USPS over the next week or so. There will be book reviews and author interviews every week through March 1, 2008. At least, that's what is scheduled so far.

Students reading for pleasure and paying to be in a book club

At a high school in Minnesota, students are paying a $15.00 activity fee to be part of a book club. You read that right, paying to discuss books. The art of reading is NOT dead, folks!

Edina High group likes to talk books

According to the article, other Metro schools are following suit. Hopefully, high schools in other states will start book clubs, as well.

Raising readers, one good book at a time.

Whew!

That was quite the barrage of reviews and interviews, wasn't it? I've read a lot lately, as you can see. And there's more reading to be done. I have a stack of magazines about two feet tall to catch up on, and at least three books on my bedside table to polish off.

There will be no book review next week, but there will be at least one each week, after that, through the month of December.

This weekend is looking to be a little bit busy. We are expecting our first major snowstorm tomorrow, here in Minnesota. So, we'll be shoveling, and baking, signing Christmas cards and trying to stay warm. Hot Chocolate and red nosed kids, here we come!

Maybe if it looks like Christmas outside, it'll feel a little more like Christmas inside?

Letters and words...

I spent much of yesterday being a beta-reader. Remember in High School, when the teacher gave a writing assignment, and upon completion, asked you to trade with the person next to you? The person next to you read it and then shared their thoughts about what you'd written. That's kinda what beta reading is.

I had about fifty pages to go when the kids got home. My Kindergarten Boy stood beside me and started pointing to letters on the page and saying "Look Mummy! That's an S. And that's a C, like in my name!" The beta-book became a lesson in letters and words.

So not only will I get paid for beta reading, but it provided a terrific teaching moment for my son. I couldn't get this boy to spend one minute on letters before he started school. Now, I can't get him to stop talking about them. WOOT!!!

I finished the book after dinner and emailed my comments to the author. I probably should have thanked her for the above mentioned opportunity, but I was too busy listening to my son point out letters on the computer screen.

What I'm working on today...

Currently reading:

• Becoming Real, Defeating the Stories We Tell Ourselves That Hold Us Back by Gail Saltz, M.D.
• A Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan
• It's Like That by Cheryl Robinson
• The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Currently writing:

A 1000 word article about raising Bumblebees for fun and profit. Due out in October.

Currently considering:

Is blogging like any other type of freelance writing, or is it a different animal entirely?

Feel free to post your opinions, I'd love to know what you think.

Look for an interview with Gwendolen Gross, author of The Other Mother: A Novel, right here, tomorrow morning.

Yesterday

Yesterday was a little odd. I spent most of the day using whatever means were available ascertaining the safety of people I know. When there is a huge disaster in the world I tend to be a wee bit compulsive about watching the news. Not so much this time, the I-35 bridge collapse was way too close to home for me.

I was more patient and tactile with my children. When my youngest woke up, I snuggled him a little closer and a little longer. When my daughter was home, I took the time to really look at her. She's damn close to being a woman now. I see lots of me in her, but I see much more of her in her. I let my sons have friends over to play, less concerned about the noise level than usual.

A book arrived in the mail that I hadn't directly requested. The author would like me to read and review it here. I sat down to read, thinking it would be an escape for a little while. I was crying less than a third of the way through it. It's a beautiful story and resonated deeply with me. I'll be posting the review on August 13th.

August 2nd was a day of reflection for me. A day of feeling grateful for all I have, and all that is to come.

Freelance Writing Primers

Reading has always been a favorite pastime for me. I was devouring Young Adult novels by the time I started second grade. I cut my permanent teeth on Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Anne Rice. My mother would have to call me five and six times if I was in the middle of a book.

I'm no different now. I try not to read anything that takes me too far away when the kids are here, but I still read constantly. My happiest moments are those spent with instrumental music playing in the background, gourmet coffee in my favorite cup and an amazing book in my hand.

All that being said, I thought I'd share some of the books I've read in preparing for my Freelance writing career. There are some terrific books out there for the beginning Freelance writer. The books listed below are within arm's reach of my computer. I refer back to them often. These are in no particular order, other than how I come across them on my bookcase.

• Writing for Quick Cash - Loriann Hoff Oberlin
• The Elements of Style - Strunk and White
  
• On Writing - Stephen King
• If You Want to Write - Brenda Ueland
• Thinking Like Your Editor - Susan Rabiner/Alfred Forutunato
• 30 Steps to Becoming a Writer - Scott Edelstein
• The Renegade Writer - Linda Formichelli/Diana Burrell
• Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer - Jenna Glatzer

As I read more books about Freelance writing, entrepreneurs and working from home, I'll be reviewing them here. I have a few en route to me. I can't wait to read them!