Today finds my head firmly wrapped around things none-writing related. For four years, my son has lived in the Corps of Cadets dorms at Texas A&M University. The Corps has been an integral part of his college life and is now, at least officially, over because — despite the fact so many degree plans at TAMU are 5 year plans — students can only be in the Corps for four years. So, with the first summer session about to begin, the boy and some friends are moving into their first apartment. That means making sure they have at least the bare essentials until they can all go shopping for the “extras”. So, instead of something controversial or at least have some semblance of cogency, I’m going to leave you with some links to blogs and articles about the industry. I promise to have a functioning brain again next week.
Kris Rusch takes on the “Brutal 2,000-Word Day” and more. This is a must read for everyone, imo.
After all the angst and breast beating by several authors over the last week or so over how their stories had been edited and fundamentally changed by one publisher (a publisher that wasn’t even paying them in copies), Writer Beware has a post on editing clauses in contracts. Read it, think about it and read it again. Then, before submitting to a publisher, whether of short stories or novels, find out what they publish and read some of their work. Determine if that publisher is right for you before you submit.
Joe Konrath helps take some of the smoke and mirrors out of the pricing debate with this post. If you have any questions about the difference between the wholesale pricing model and the agency pricing model, check out what Konrath has to say.
While I don’t agree completely with everything in the list, here is a list of 10 things to do when proofreading.
And then there is the Los Angeles Review of Books’ Farewell to Novels by David R. Slavitt. Part of me understands what Slavitt is saying and why. But part of me looks at his post and shakes my head because he is among those who believe — or at least he appears to — that legacy publishers will get you reviews and other things that, on the whole, they simply don’t bother with any longer.
Any way, these are just a few of the links relating to publishing this week. Do you have others you’d like to share? What are your thoughts on the links above? The floor is now yours.
Mad Genius Club 
I’ve been putting together the 4-drawer dressers that they sell at Target for my two girls. They aren’t bad, I think. Pretty sturdy and not hard to assemble. The shelves are even easier and something like $29 for the tall ones.
My son is determined to live out of his footlocker. Don’t ask. I think it’s a guy thing.
We’re doing renovations so I went furniture shopping with my 21 yr old son. He picked out a dresser on clearance (it came from the factory with a wrong colored side panel) but what he cared about (I’ve no doubt he’d have been more than happy to live out of a footlocker) was a desk that was a desk and not just a table for his computers, and shelves.
The desk (which was also on clearance) is pretty much just like a table, no drawers or cubbies or anything, just a top and three solid sides instead of legs. But it’s not a *table*. It’s a desk.
For some reason this was very important.
Oh yes, I remember those days. My son took an old wooden card table with a leather top for the temporary table. He was going to take an old drafting table of mine but it is heavy and big — all wood and real wood at that — and was afraid he couldn’t get it in his van (one lesson learned quickly. Never suggest to male offspring that you can pack their van better than they can). So what he winds up with as his desk is a bit worrisome.
Has anyone praised Goodwill to your son, yet?
Yes, sometimes anything electronic won’t work… but you can buy THREE of the pretty decent mid-range stuff for less than one, new, lowest quality rice cooker, deepfryer, crockpot, toaster oven, grill, etc.
Some folks get icked out at the idea of used kitchen stuff. (St. Vincent de Paul’s prices are all over the map, but our local places make sure that everything they sell works.)
Oh… and another bit of totally unasked for advice… he should invest in a little chest freezer. They’ve got some that are maybe three times the size of a tiny book shelf, and pay for themselves depressingly quickly in terms of buying the 12 pack of hot pockets instead of two-packs. (If they cook their own meals, buying the $7-for-10lb chicken quarters vs $1.99 for individual quarters and bulk frozen veggies is even faster.) I’d also suggest he buy it himself instead of all chipping in, and just split the power bill….
(I enjoyed the links, just nothing to add.)
I know they have a full fridge/freezer that comes with the apartment and several of them are taking down their own mini fridges. I will see if they are doing the mini-freezer as well.
Their young adult males, I wouldn’t worry about frozen veggies. Just remember, “Vegetables aren’t food; vegetables are what food eats.”
At least that was my opinion at that age; still is pretty much, but with a few exceptions.
Goodwill, ARC, etc., were all mentioned.
All I can say, having survived two young men, is that you do NOT want to visit the apartment unannounced. Call ahead, give notice, and maybe it will be safe to sit on a sofa or kitchen chair. Trust me. Best to invite him to your house for a meal.
As for your links – all interesting. Thanks
Oh, I know. I am afraid to go into his room when he’s home without warning him. Which is funny since he kept his dorm room almost spotless.