Blog Posts for Josie Brown

Jane Friedman on 6 Sure-Fire Ways to Make an Editor Love You

Josie Brown — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:01:19 -0700

The always-introspective Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest has come up with a column on "3 Sure-Fire Ways to Insult Someone in Publishing." After you read what she writes, if you're published, you may wince if (like me) you recognize yourself in some of what she says. But then again, publishing isn't a perfect world, and mistakes do happen. There are too many bad book covers and books ...

5 Reasons Why Borders' Sue Grimshaw Is a Romance Writer's BFF

Josie Brown — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:04:11 -0700

One of the joys of belonging to my local chapter of Romance Writers of America - the San Francisco Chapter (major shout-out here) is because of some of the wonderful programs they pull together for published authors. (Of all ilk, really. Yo: mystery, thriller, commercial lit, and lit writers, seriously: it's worth attending these meetings, for the mojo alone.)Take, for instance, yesterday's ...

Tome of the Mommy, #1: It's Official! THE DILF In Bookstores Summer 2010

Josie Brown — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:11:19 -0700

It's being published by Simon & Schuster. I'm thrilled, as you can imagine. Let's start with the fact that I'm enchanted with my editor, Megan McKeever. The excitement she and her team have for this project is an author's dream.And just think: this time next year, it will be on a bookstore shelf near you.What's the story? It is a chronicle of the bitter divorce of a ...

A bookseller's Lament: When a Publisher Cuts Co-op, It Cuts the Throats of Its Authors

Josie Brown — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:23:44 -0700

Am TOTALLY bummed when I hear about supposedly smart companies doing something that hurts those that help make their bottom lines. The parable of the scorpion and the frog comes to mind. You know it by heart: Those two critters make a deal to cross the river together–despite the fear on the frog's part that the scorpion will bite it, and produce instant paralysis. But wanting to believe, ...

Old Publishing Houses, New Media and SxSW: A Missed Opportunity for All...

Josie Brown — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:53:32 -0700

Crikey. T'warnt there, but apparently the publishing industry panel at SxSW did a major crash-and-burn. While the session was entitled "New Think for Old Publishers," what it demonstrated was that publishers can't new-think at all–or at least, they can't articulate what they are thinking (let alone doing) to nudge publishing over that bridge into the 21st Century.About a decade ...

Publishers' Sales Teams: Yes, It's Time to Think Out of the (Big) Box (Chain Stores).

Josie Brown — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 11:18:01 -0700

With Borders teetering and Barnes & Noble cutting stores and staff, the whole publishing industry needs to rethink its sales and distribution model. This article, published in at IdeaLog.com, focuses on the results of an ongoing survey between THA Consulting and Book Industry Study Group. Obviously its findings are of interest to authors, too, who want to finetune their self-promotion ...

Twitter as an Author's Tool - or Just a Way of peeking Out of Your Attic

Josie Brown — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:08:21 -0700

Titter is my new Crackberry. Is there a support group out there for me? And if so, am I supposed to give my confession in 140 characters or less? You think I'm kidding, right?Seriously, I blame my agent (the indubitable Holly Root). If she hadn't mentioned she was on it, I would have skipped that plank on the Bridge into the 21st Century. (Isn't that the new slogan for the GGB? If it ...

Gemma Halliday Helps Homeless Teen/Aspiring Artist-Writer with an Auction

Josie Brown — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 14:32:24 -0800

We all know someone who has lost their job recently. And you can just imagine how many of your fans and readers may now be out of work -- and out on the streets. Hey, if they can't buy food, how can they buy your books? Gemma Halliday came face-to-face with two of hers: a teen and her mother. In fact, the teen, Katy, has been blogging about life on the streets. you can read how she and her mom ...

Black Wednesday: Who Killed Publishing? Jason Boog Solves the Mystery

Josie Brown — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:13:23 -0800

As authors, it is an integral part of our nature to solve mysteries not of our creation: especially those stories writ large by life. We attempt to unravel plot strands, to analyze the most compelling characters in the story. Needles to say, every author rewrites history. In his essay for Salon (below), Jason Boog gives a succinct analysis of the assassination attempt on the book industry. The ...

Another Reason Why We Love New Yorker Magazine...

Josie Brown — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:07:38 -0800

The caption says it all... (c) New Yorker Magazine 2008. Drawing by David Sipress. --Josie