Speak Quietly: Ramblings About Libraries, Writing, and Everything in Between

Have a Very Merry Library Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:53:00 +0000

Halloween is officially over, which means it’s time to start rolling out the Christmas gear! In honor of this, I wanted to take a moment to remind everyone in blogosphere land that my wife is selling library-themed Christmas cards (only $3.50) each and library-themed postcards (4 for $4.00); they’re perfect for anyone looking for a card for their favorite booklover this holiday season. Reduce rates are available to anyone making bulk purchases.

She also sells several library-themed prints, and will be expanding the bibliophile section of her store real soon. To keep informed on upcoming library related prints make sure you’re following her blog!

You can see all of her stuff here!

No Kindle Killer...Yet

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:39:00 +0000

I'm impressed with the new B&N Reader, the Nook, but I'm not ready to call it a Kindle killer. Here's my rationale:

*It's not international; I still like books, but eBooks are great for the road...as long as you're not going overseas where the Nook isn't available (except through wi-fi)

*Wi-Fi (on the Nook, but not the Kindle 2) is impressive, but not really neccessary when there's no built in web browser.

*There's no built in Web browswer! This is one of the places Amazon still beats them; it's so simple to be reading about a place on Kindle and look it up on Wikipedia right from the book.

*Kindle has 2 years behind it's brand--Barnes and Noble is returning to the game after completely abandoning people! I hope they don't leave again after that 300 dollar investment!

*Is lending books 14 really that impressive? And is there a limit? On Kindle you can only download a book 5 times before your blocked...it's really lame.

Honestly, I think both devices are still overpriced. I'm more excited about the Asus. But it's good to see someone new on the market to challenge Amazon.

Quiet, Please: Signed and Delievered

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:44:00 +0000

I finally got around to ordering a few copies of Quiet, Please: Dispatches from a Public Librarian, and I'm going to sell them here (just click the PayPal link below). The copies are $20, and shipping is free (unless it's going international...please email you and I'll let you know what the rates are to your country). It makes the perfect gift for librarians!

Please also let me know if you want it personalized.

I'm very sorry, but I'm clean out of every copy...they sold out in one day! I'll have more in time for Christmas to anyone who wanted to give it away as a gift to a librarian, so stayed tuned--or just drop me an email and I'll let you know when they are back in stock.

Ten Ways Publishing Can Be Saved

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:15:00 +0000

I suppose last week NY Times article was supposed to be shocking eye opener; perhaps to some it was, but I found the piece to be yet another reason that the publishing industry is heading down a path it will find it hard to recover from.

The article ended with a representative of one of the file sharing websites concluding that the publishing industry should be like the band "Nine Inch Nails" and just give away most there stuff for free, and the author concludes that this is just absurd because authors can't pack arenas and make money with this kind of model.

The attitude that publishing can't give away things for free is yet another example of the arrogance in the industry. Instead of figuring out a way to make it work, many publishers are either trying to threaten file sharing websites with letters from their lawyers (which didn't work for the music industry and won't work for the publishing industry either) or tossing up their hands like it's a lost cause.

Instead having legal waste their time combing the Internet trying to find every single book illegally posted, they should be spending money on young marketers who might actually find a free-based model that would work.

Below are a ten relatively simple ways publishers can make money off electronic publishing:

1. Subscription Model - Most publishers have literally thousands of books that they own the rights too; why not start a subscription service--20 bucks a month let's you read any book in the Random House catalog. If they really want to do it right, they could partner with other publishers to offer even more books.

2. Create Phone Apps – more and more people are reading on their phones; experiment with a phone app that once again takes out the middleman—something that lets the reader buy and sample a book directly from the publisher and read it on their phone. Make the app and samples free—many readers would probably buy physical copies if they had a chance to read a sample on subway on their way home from the office. On that note, experiment with publishing serial books--$0.50 for a book that publishes a new chapter each week—or a subscription to have the book automatically downloaded each week to your phone.

3. Advertising - Quite simply this means put ads in books (which I've talked about here)

4. Product Placement - Those who have read early drafts of my YA book know that the PS3 plays a sizable role; there is absolutely no reason why the PS3 can't be Xbox 360 or Wii; a publisher could probably do pretty well by taking ideas like this to corporations. Obviously, not every author is going to go for this, but I suspect many would if they were making percentages off the deal.

5. More Rights - I am not a fan of this, but I understand that it will likely come--new (and unproven authors) will likely have to give up more rights to their books (like translation and media). It's no secret that nearly half (sometimes more) of an authors income come from selling the rights of their book to other countries; if the rights are also sold to a film studio, a few more thousand are coming the authors way. As pirating becomes more popular, publishers are likely going to start taking some of these rights to make back money (some already do it). That's not all bad; they'll likely have more muscle to get the book translated into more language, which will make the author more in the long run.

6. Tours – The article mentions that authors can’t sell out arenas—why not? It’s true that even big authors wouldn’t be able to pull this off, but publishers have more than one author. Why not arrange a tour with several authors instead of one? Send two dozen authors off together on a college tour; don’t make it a tour—make it a festival. Have the authors perform lectures and readings as well as writing workshops and individualized writing coaching sessions. I guarantee that younger writers wouldn’t mind slumming it on buses (and even dorm room floors) if it meant getting their work out. To get even more exposure, they could partner up with Indie rock bands who are also doing campus tours. Authors could also do live videos from the festivals for people who can’t make it out—videos that show more than a boring reading; people are interested by voyeurism—the videos should be more of a diary of what it’s like to be on a tour. Having authors actually visit classrooms is going to make the students feel closer, and they’ll be more likely to buy their work and support them than download it free. To help get money, get a company like Target to sponsor it. If the tour gained enough exposure then companies would pay good money to have their logo slapped on a bus that was sitting in a college campus parking lot.

7. Build better websites – I’m not even talking about the websites of their authors; I’m talking about better websites for the publisher; I’ve never been to a publishers website that was more than just a catalog of the books they publish; it needs to be more interactive—there should be things that get visitors returning. How can publishers encourage authors to build good websites when they themselves aren’t doing this?

8. NO DRM – Demand that Amazon remove DRM; it will do you more good in the long run. Sharing can be a good thing if you do it right. Publishers could even sell DRM-Free books on their websites and make a killing because they wouldn’t have to pay the digital bookstore.

9. Lower Prices – If it’s a new writer, then don’t make people pay ten bucks for the book; likewise don’t sell experienced writers for fifteen bucks—ten is the most anyone should to pay for a digital book.

10. Preload eBooks readers – Sell eBook preloaded with eBooks. 400 bucks is a lot, but it’s not quite as bad if it has 100 bucks load on it for free.

Instead of waiting for people from places like Amazon to approach them with ideas for this, they need to be going to Amazon. Their role thus far has been relatively passive; it’s time for that to change. Last week a company said they would make reading more interactive by putting movies in the text, and all I could think was that’s really the best they can do? Hollywood started doing that 100 years ago! If people want to see what the characters look like, they’ll wait for the inevitable film adaptation. And if the reader is really having that hard of a time visualize what is going on, then perhaps it’s time to find a writer who can show scenes just a little bit better.

I don't think it's entirely unlikely for authors to start get patrons to pay them for their work; this is how authors used to make a living. If an author got a big enough following by giving away their books for free, they might eventually get a wealthy fan (or smaller press) that paid them to continue writing. Geoffrey Chaucer made a living as a writer in this way, so did Charles Bukowski, and so have hundreds of other writers.

Those are just a few ways to make publishing digitally successful, but if publisher stop wondering what to do when pirating comes, and start realizing that it's already here then hopefully they'll be able to think up a few more that might actually save them.

Write Your Story & Sell Your Story

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:39:00 +0000

This Thursday (October 8th) at 7:00 pm, I will be giving a free presentation at the brand new Tustin library on how to write and sell your first book.

If you'd like to go, it would help them if you call ahead so they know how many seats to setup (their number is: 1-714-544-7725); if you don't call, please still come and I'll make sure they find room for you!

The address is below...I hope I see you there!

345 E. Main Street
Tustin, CA 92780

The Governments Not So Secret Nazi Base

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:39:00 +0000

I don't know a lot about architecture, but don't they usually have some sort of model that would let the builder know that perhaps the design isn't a good idea? The building below is an actual government building in San Diego.

It does not seem like the best welcoming mat to Jewish tourist flying into the city.

The Dan Brown Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:21:00 +0000

In honor of Dan Brown's newest book being released, read the strangest Dan Brown interview you'll ever read here.

Two November Reads of Interest

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:55:00 +0000

There are not a lot of books coming out, which sound even remotely interesting to me, but I did find two November reads that might be worth a look.

The first is yet another reminder to writers to burn their work if they don't really want it released after they die.

"The Original of Laura" by Vladimir Nabokov
When Vladimir Nabokov died in 1977, he left instructions for his heirs to burn the 138 handwritten index cards that made up the rough draft of his final and unfinished novel, The Original of Laura. But Nabokov’s wife, Vera, could not bear to destroy her husband’s last work, and when she died, the fate of the manuscript fell to her son. Dmitri Nabokov, now seventy-five—the Russian novelist’s only surviving heir, and translator of many of his books—has wrestled for three decades with the decision of whether to honor his father’s wish or preserve for posterity the last piece of writing of one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century. His decision finally to allow publication of the fragmented narrative—dark yet playful, preoccupied with mortality—affords us one last experience of Nabokov’s magnificent creativity, the quintessence of his unparalleled body of work.

The second book, despite seeming to steal the premise of the Simpsons movie, looks like a fun page-turner:

"Under the Dome" by Stephen King
On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away.

Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing -- even murder -- to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

Bored Librarians @ Work

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:12:00 +0000

Librarins: I Need Your Blurbs for My New Book!

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:24:00 +0000

If you missed my Twitter post, I need blurbs from librarians (especially teen ones) for my newest book, which I will be trying to sell shortly. If you'd like to help, please email me a quick note (my email is scottdouglas@scottdouglas.org), and I'll send you out the first three chapters.

It's a YA book geared towards teenage boys, and blurbs from you will help put a nice touch on the proposal that will be sent out to editors/publishers at the end of the month.

Thanks to those who can help...I look forward to your emails!

The First Cyber Death

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 08:38:00 +0000

Ten some odd years ago, while studying writing as an undergraduate, I wrote a 40,000 word story about a man who wanted to be the first person to kill himself on the Internet.

It's been through a lot of revision over the years, but nothing major for quite sometime. At one point I tried to publish it, but it was rejected for being too ambitious, too weird, too shocking, too experimental...the list goes on and on.

Perhaps it was too shocking to ever see the light of day, but the beauty of Kindle is you can be your own publisher. I put the text online here (you can read the entire synopsis there too) for $1.00 if you want to read it and have either a Kindle or iPhone.

Those who don't have a Kindle can also order a physical copy by clicking on the PayPal link below (it's only $10.00); Amazon has a incredibly cheap vanity press (you pay to print a proof copy, which is about 10 bucks) called CreateSpace that makes it easy to publish works that might now be published elsewhere.

The book is a bit dated with it's pop culture references (keep in mind it was written ten years ago), but I still think the idea is pretty fresh...if nothing else, I guarantee it will be one of the weirdest things you have ever read.

If you want to have the book for free, then buy $20 bucks of stuff from my wife's Esty store, and I'll have it send it to you for free! Just make sure you let one of us know via email that you want a copy, and we'll send it out!

Say what you want about eBooks, but one of the nice things I see about them is they are helping bring about the return of the short novel; if you think selling a 100,000 word novel is hard, try selling a 40,000. On Kindle, however, anything goes--a scenario that's both good and bad, but one that can ultimately work in the authors favor.

The Next Victim of Kindle’s Big Brother

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:41:00 +0000

I’ve spent the summer finishing up a YA book that my agent will, with any luck, be able to sell after I finish up the third and final draft. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it later, but for the sake of taking a break from the wonderful world of revision, I thought I’d take the time to write a blog about something very curious that I’ve seen happening in the Kindle store.

By now everyone is probably familiar with the big Kindle hiccup that happened at the start of the summer with George Orwell’s 1984. It wasn’t all that odd since the book was still in copyright. In the past couple weeks, Amazon started doing something that is a bit odd: pulling public domain books from the self.

Public domain books by Mark Twain, Willa Cather, Jack London, Aldous Huxley, and literally hundreds of other popular public domain books mysteriously vanished at the end of August.

Yesterday, Amazon announced that it will begin removing all duplicate Public Domain titles, which at least solves the question of the disappearing eBooks.

People who have Kindles are probably aware that publishers by the thousands have uploaded works that are in public domain and sold them for profit. Most of these titles are likely just books that people took off Project Gutenberg and reformatted for Kindle.

They claim the reason for the new policy is to make things less confusing for the consumer because there are too many copies of one work by different publishers. I don’t think it’s confusing at all, which is why I think there’s something else behind it.

My guess is there’s going to be some bigger announcement by Amazon regarding public domain by the end of the year. Which begs the question: what happens if I want to re-download a book that was removed because of this new policy? And further isn't this make a little bit too much of a monopoly for the company? Publishers big and small have successfully republished public domain works with new covers and different authors providing introductions for the past hundred years. A larger percentage of the publishing industry is made up of this kind of practice. For Amazon to say that they will only let one publisher sell something like Huck Finn seems a little odd, and frankly illegal to me.

Disney's Electric Parade

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Growing up in Anaheim means Disneyland was always my backyard. Forever embedded in my head is the annoying Main Street Electrical Parade theme song. When they finally took it away, I was happy that at last I would never have to hear that song again. But it's back (it's been back actually)--at the California Adventure to be more exact.

The other night, Diana and I saw the parade at the new location; it's the same annoying music, but it's hard not to enjoy the spectacle of lights. If you're bored this holiday, watch it and relive the magic for yourself.

BroadBand2Go

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 03:48:00 +0000

As a freelancer, I use my computer on the go a lot; usually I'm writing and don't need Internet, but it's nice to occasionally read an email or fact check something...it's not nice enough to pay the 60 dollar fee for a 3G data plan.

Virgin Mobile is about to release a new plan that's perfect for people who want the "occasional" Internet on the go. The BroadBand2Go USB device sold exclusively through Best Buy let's you get Pay As You Go Internet access with no monthly fees or contracts.

The catch is it's $150 dollars to buy the USB drive, but if you need your Internet to go in minimal doses, then it's perfect.

Another One About Legos

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:39:00 +0000

Here's yet another addition into my blogger Lego tag...a blog about people who recreate art with Legos. All of these put my childhood creations to shame, and it makes me wonder, "Is it possible to get an MFA in Lego Art?"

In Library News...

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Two interesting news stories for all those librarians out there in blog land:

From the OC Register: Teens rally to save their library.

From NBC's Today: Great piece on libraries in the modern world and the challenges they face.

Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:18:00 +0000

Darling Darling has a short interview with Diana and I...follow the link if you want to read it.

The Simpsons

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:30:00 +0000

I've heard a lot of covers of The Simpsons, but the video believe is now one of my favorites! Also check the kid out playin MC Hammer in the second video!

Best Pixar Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:30:00 +0000

Now that I’ve seen Up here’s my amended list of favorite Pixar Movies:

1) Wall-E

2) Monster's Inc

3) Toy Story 2

4) Toy Story 1

5) Up

6) Finding Nemo

7) The Incredibles

8) A Bug's Life

9) Cars

10) Ratatouille

My Hero

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:12:00 +0000

I love people who do cool things with Legos; this guy is completely amazing! He created a MASSIVE Lego layout of Disneyland. I can even begin to imagine how much ity would be to buy these many Legos.

Happy Memorial Day

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Diana and I decided to use a half off coupon to visit the Anaheim Muzeo today. Below the phtos below of the exhibit (it was a monster theme)...

How California are these palm trees?

This guy isn't quite as scary with the flash on!

Geeky Computer Cases

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sat, 23 May 2009 20:28:00 +0000

These Star Wars computer cases are probably the geekiest (and most awesome) computers I have seen in a long time!

The Kindle Killer

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Thu, 21 May 2009 21:00:00 +0000

A few days ago, a thought occurred to me: I haven't used my Kindle in quite awhile. It's not because I have already grown tired of eBooks; it's because I recently bought an iPod Touch, and find the experience to be a bit more agreeable than the the Kindle in most settings.

The text on the Touch is clear and does not tire my eyes, can be read outdoors, and is easy (and light) to keep in your pocket. I now find myself reading everywhere I go--the movies, waiting rooms, etc. One of the biggest problems I have with the Kindle is the lack of back light; this makes reading in low lit places (like movie theaters) impossible without bring a light with you. With the newest Kindle app update, the software just got better (it now rotates text and let's you have different text colors)

The Kindle is still a great device (it has better lighting and it is a bit easier to read outdoors), but the Touch has proven to be the perfect companion. The great thing about Kindle is you can have the both worlds--since Amazon stores all your books online it's incredibly easy to download your books on both devices.

If you'd like to try out eBooks, the Touch is the perfect starter device; it's pretty cheap considering how powerful it is (it runs all the iPhone apps, can surf the net, play videos (both videos you have bought and videos you want to stream from places like youtube), and view pictures). Refurbished you can get one for less than $200.

Wise Blood: A Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:32:00 +0000

From: Disturbed Christian

2001 was the year I discovered Flannery O'Connor. I was a college senior doing an independent study on post-WWII Christian literature. My advisor suggested that I add O'Connor's "Wise Blood" to my growing list of semester reads.

It was one of those books that went on to change my life--the one that made me say, "I've never seen the world in this light before."

For the past four years in college, I had been intrigued by the idea of the sacred and profane; the idea that even in the most sacred places of the world were always broken vessel, more polluted and shameful then those who followed them.

I have been curious to see John Huston's adaptation of the movie ever sense I put the book down; unfortunately, it was one of those classic movies long out of print in any format.

Earlier this month, Criterion restored and rereleased the film on DVD; for obvious reason, I put my order in when I first found out, and got the chance to watch it this past weekend.

The film, like the book, follows Hazel Motes--a young soldier returning home to the South, who discovers just about everything, but the religion, has changed. Hazel is a changed man, and wants to forget that God ever existed; he's so convicted in his ways that he intends to start his own church called, "The Church of Christ without Christ" (which, Hazel later clarifies is a Protestant denomination!)--for those who have not read the book, Hazel actually called this "The Church Without Christ," and then another man started a church called "The Church of Christ without Christ" to rival his.

You would think people would just pass up Hazel as a crazy war veteran, but they don't; they are intrigued by his church, and that lies the power of both the film and the book--we all have a void inside us that we try and fill in some way; if we try to strip away religion from our hearts we still are searching for something to replace it. Every character in the movie has something that's not God which they cling to as a form of God--from a gorilla to a historic artifact. Hazel tries to believe that you don't need God if you have a car, and even uses that vessel to play the part of God and take someone’s life by running them over.

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<<<--------S P O I L E R A L E R T---------->>>
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The tragedy of the movie is Hazel never can replace God; when a police officer’s pushes his car into a lake, he takes away the one thing that Hazel thought could replace God, and it crushes his soul. He inflects bodily torture on himself to try and redeem himself, but none of it works because only God is capable of giving this kind of redemption, and Hazel refuses to accept God, and is left empty.

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<<<--------E N D O F S P O I L E R---------->>>
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No film can ever match O’Connor’s, wit, or gothic charm; and it would be impossible to capture the idea of free will and redemption that O'Connor thematically, and perfectly, captures in her novel--but that's not to say it's not a worthy viewing; however it is you that you get your movies: rent, own, or illegally download--get this movie, watch it, and tell all of your friends to do the same.

And if you have never read the book, then it's about time you did so...

Papua New Guinea Artifacts

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Douglas) — Sun, 10 May 2009 10:05:00 +0000

I was helping my Dad at my parents house the other day, and went into my old bedroom where too many of my old belongings still remain. One of the things that stood out where all the things my brother has sent me from Papua New Guinea, where he currently lives...thought I'd share a few of them...

The one below is one of my favorite birthday presents EVER. During his first stay in the country ten some odd years ago, he found a New Guinea artist and asked if he'd paint his interpretation of The Simpsons. My brother showed him a picture, but he didn't need one--he knew who The Simpsons were! The man had no TV (or electricity for that matter) and yet somehow managed to know the show.

The next painting is a New Guinea interpretation of Noah's ark; I don't know if it's the same artist or not.

For the life of me, I never did figure out what this next thing is, and my brother never bothered to explain it.

Really isn't all too sharp for a cutting tool...

Believe it or not this is what straps onto the men's...member...during native dances. It sort of looks like a primitive form of birth control...I'd really hate to be on the receiving end of that device...talk about a wicked splinter!

He sent it home one year as a Christmas gift to all the males in my family; my Grandma has a picture somewhere of several of my cousins, myself and my Grandpa wearing it...over are clothes of course.
Hand carved decoration of a creepy looking headhunter.