FAB-FIVE FRIDAY: AND LEBRON SIGNS WITH ...

TEAM JACOB!!!!!!!!!!

I'm sure I just gave a Twihard a heart attack, but I couldn't resist ...

NOW, THE TOP 5 WRITING RELATED WEB-FINDS OF THE WEEK!

5. YOU DON'T WANT TO ASPIRE TO BE INSTANTLY MEGA-HUGE-FAMOUS. REALLY.

YA author Cynthia Smith has a great blog.  She regularly interviews literary agents who represent YA/MG/Young Readers, etc., because, well, that's what Cynthia writes.  In a recent superb interview she asked agent  Mary Kole (Andrea Brown Agency) to give some 'model' books/authors for prospective clients to study.

What made yet another agent interview top 5 worthy? Mary's response to said question: she recommends that authors aspire not to be the next runaway success (ala Stephanie Meyer), but rather set their sights on slowly building a career via word-of-mouth, etc..

EJ THINKS - Every aspiring author has dreamed of instant superstardom, but the reality of how few authors ever achieve that is pretty sobering.  Mary's advice of securing a reasonable first advance so an author has the opportunity to meet/exceed the expectations of their publisher is solid gold.  Many a writer has had their careers flame out after poor sales on an overly invested-in first book.  I don't know about the rest of you, but I want to write until I quit kicking, massive success or no.

4. TOMORROW IS SOOOOO LAST WEEK

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner makes frequent appearances on the FAB-FIVE for good reason: she's usually talking about things we (as writers) need to be paying attention to.  A recent post about her feelings on market trends (to vampire or not to vampire, is that your question?) was particularly enlightening.

EJ PONDERS - If an agent says she doesn't get overly concerned about trends in publishing, and there isn't an author around to hear it, would it still make a sound?

3. WRITING IS HARD.  YOU CAN QUOTE ME ON THAT.

Fellow bloggist Jaydee Morgan posted her favorite writing related quotes this past week.  She's listed some really good ones, so if you need a little inspiration, head over and check them out.  What are your faves?

EJ WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT - The title of this blog is a nod to my favorite quote.

2.  I'M SENSITIVE, AND I'D LIKE TO STAY THAT WAY

Yep, I just busted out some Jewel ... author TH. Mafi runs a very funny blog (Grab a Pen), but don't be blinded by the funny.  Oh no.  She drops nuggets of writerly info and encouragement like her name was Grimace!  She recently wrote a piece that talks about how sensitive we writer types can be, and how important it is to move on from our mistakes.  I found it to be very inspiring, think you might as well.

EJ SAYS - There's no crying in baseball, but there's plenty in the arts.  Anguish and fear are often the fuel for great art, but like any aid, it can cripple if it becomes too important, consuming, and/or overwhelming.

1. eREADERS = APOCALYPSE

Love my Nook reader.  I've got dozens of books on it, and they go where I go.  I can read with one hand tied behind my head, get new books without leaving my house, etc.

Not everyone feels the same eReaders and THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING.  Jessica over at the Bookends agency blog address just this in a recent post.  An interesting debate amongst the readers of the blog ensued with some of the following questions popping up:

Are electronic books/readers truly greener than paper books?

If the future home has fewer physical books on hand, will children still find it easy to find something to read?

Will eBooks be the end of the social aspect of reading?  (You know, when you're at the airport and the person next to you strikes up a conversation about the book in your hands, kind of thing.)

EJ SAID - I like to compare it to what's happened to music. Digital is by far the most consumed medium for music. However, there are still folks who prefer the sound quality of the old 45s. There are niche stores in every major city that still cater to those people, and new albums are still released on those formats on a limited scale. It's basically an expensive hobby.

Books will be much the same way; only collectors will have the resources to seek out paper books. If the new hardback you covet is going to set you back $50 and 40 mile round-trip, which it may in 10 years, how likely are you to buy it over a $5 digital copy? How important is smelling, tasting, etc. a real book to you? For many, it won't even be an option.

For everyone that fears reading is going to somehow die due to a lack of physical books in the home, relax. If television, video games, and texting haven't killed the art of reading for fun (I work with middle schoolers, they still read believe it or not), nothing will.

Everyone I know has a Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc. so sharing your thoughts on literature is already easier to do electronically than it is in person.  As for the green aspect, there is no question that electronic reading will be/is better for the environment in the long run.  Fewer paper books means fewer trees destroyed, fewer things being shipped (see fuel consumption), less warehousing (electricity, etc.), fewer trips to bookstores/libraries, on and on.  Yes, eReaders are made of plastic, use nasty batteries, and consume electricity and server space.  However, in my mind, it comes down to math:  How many eReaders do you need per person over a lifetime?  Most likely 1-3  How many books per person over a lifetime?

WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK ABOUT THE VARIOUS ISSUES IN THE ELECTRONIC BOOK DEBATE?

Hope everyone has a great weekend!