Quotation for the Week of November 30

"A committee is a cul-de-sac down which ideas are lured and then quietly strangled."
-- Sir Barnett Cocks

Don't Panic! (Publishing Isn't Dead Yet)

I'd like to thank Colleen Lindsay of The Swivet for putting the whole Houghton Mifflin Harcourt freeze on acquiring books thing in perspective. (Tip of the hat to Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind.)

And after reading this article about the HMH situation, I'd also like to say--huh?

Bad News All Around for Creative Writers

The headline almost seems redundant. Getting published (through traditional media, anyway) has always been an uphill battle. And now--ouch!--Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has placed a moratorium on acquiring more books.

According to Josef Blumenfeld, vice president of communications for HMH, this is just a temporary thing, "not an indicator of the end of literature." Nonetheless, one agent called the move "very scary" and said it indicated the industry has reached a low he's never seen before. And he's not the only one feeling scared.

Big publishers are also having trouble putting out magazines. Some publishers are rolling with the punches brought by the drop in print ad revenue, taking their publications online. Others--just throwing in the towel. With so many magazines folding, Simon Dumenco poses these questions to publishers: Are you in or are you out? Do you still believe in the very act, the very business, of publishing? One does have to wonder.

And, meanwhile, on the screenwriting front . . . WTF?

Quotation for the Week of November 23

"The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best—and therefore never scrutinize or question."
-- Stephen Jay Gould

All About Bookstore Buyers

One blog I find absolutely essential reading for all aspiring or published book authors is The Writer's Edge. This detailed and highly informative post on bookstore buyers, how publishers do business with them and their role in the book selling business is just one example of why I love this blog so much. (And it has nothing to do with having been invited to guest post there. Really.)

In Copywriting, Some Rules Were Made to be Broken

When I was a child in elementary school, I was always trying to push the limits of grammar rules. Construct sentences (like this one) that didn't follow those rules scrupulously. And was told, "Sorry. You have to learn the rules before you break them."

I've learned a bit about the rules since then. I've done a lot of writing and reading. And one thing I do know--those rules are broken quite a bit and often to good effect.

Of course, I grew up with the generation that learned that Winston tasted good "like a cigarette should" (instead of "as," in case you were wondering). I recall there being some controversy over the wording--vague mutterings about sloppy grammar in ad slogans and handbaskets to hell. But copywriting should be done with an ear for how the language sounds, rather than a strict adherence to what the grammar rules dictate. Would the slogan have been as effective (catchy, memorable, etc.) if written correctly? Maybe. But I think not.

This article points out a few grammar and usage rules that can be set aside when copywriting (and, I would argue, doing many other types of writing, depending on the audience, purpose of the work, publication style and other factors). And I would add to the list that rule about not splitting infinitives. It seems nowadays it's okay to boldly split infinitives as no one has ever done before.

(Thanks to Kristen King at Inkthinker for the article link.)

Quotation for the Week of November 16

"Sometimes the appropriate response to reality is to go insane."
-- Philip K. Dick

A Thumbs Up for Self-Publishing

I wanted to direct everyone's attention to this wonderful article on how satisfying (and lucrative) it can be to self-publish one's work. Of course, it was written by the founder and CEO of Lulu.com, so consider the source. Even so, it makes a persuasive case for going the self-publishing route.

Just in the interest of full disclosure, I would caution you that in some industry circles (like the crime fiction arena, with which I'm most familiar) self-published authors are not treated as equals for purposes of appearing on conference panels or attaining full membership in one of the professional organizations (i.e., Mystery Writers of America). This can create some obstacles to marketing--but they aren't insurmountable (just ask Brunonia Barry).

(Thanks go to The Writer's Edge for pointing out this article.)

Quotation for the Week of November 9

"A politician thinks of the next election—a statesman of the next generation."
-- James Freeman Clarke

Writer's Tip of the Week: The Importance of Feedback

By Rick Holton

We've all heard the expression, two heads are better than one, and that is often true when we're writing. Although writing by committee is often ineffective, getting feedback can help us refine our ideas, check our effectiveness, or improve our style.

The value of the feedback you receive is not necessarily related to the writing skills of the person you're consulting. That person may have insight into that particular subject area or into how the audience might react to your message. This can be a lot more valuable than having someone simply correct your style.

One of the keys to using feedback effectively is to remain open to new ideas and new approaches. And don't be defensive. Many years ago I rewrote a book on HMO capital financing for the CEO of a boutique investment bank. Unfortunately, my client wanted to meet once a week to discuss every single comma change, and he was highly resistant to any alterations, which of course defeated the purpose of hiring a professional writer. The argument that "that's just my style," only gets you so far.

That being said, one should recognize that not all feedback is equally valuable. It's usually not very helpful if people come back and quote you the rules of Composition 101, especially if you're already a fairly sophisticated writer. Long ago, I had a boss who would read whatever I wrote, and rather than commenting on the content, which is what I needed, she would make dozens of corrections to my grammar and style. The irony, of course, was that she had only the vaguest idea of either.

So what do you do if you sometimes get feedback that isn't helpful? It may be a good idea to consult different people for content and for style. Effective writing is all about strategy, which is much harder to get right. Naturally, you want your writing to sound good, but if you use the wrong strategy, it isn't going to matter.

It's helpful if you give people specific points to respond to. "If you were one of our clients, would this persuade you?" "Is paragraph three clear?" "Do my arguments follow?" If you get them to focus on what you most want to know, you will get comments that are a lot more useful than, "Sounds good to me."

Also important is including a timetable. How often have we all gotten feedback that was too late to use? Whenever you are requesting information, in fact, it's useful to say when you need it.

You may also find yourself in the role of feedback-giver. If someone comes to you with a piece of written work, think of what it is they really need from you. Giving feedback is not a forum for stroking your ego, and your goal should be to help make any document as effective as possible.

Whether you are receiving feedback or giving it, remember to focus on the real need. If the grammar or style needs fixing, fine, but don't forget to think about strategy. And remember that critiquing is far different from proofreading.

Rick Holton is owner of The Holton Group, which specializes in business writing and consulting.

Quotation for the Week of November 2

This link leads to so many great quotations, I'm finding it hard to pick, so I'll give you not just one, but two of my favorites:

"The profession of book-writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business."
-- John Steinbeck

"There are two things wrong with almost all legal writing. One is its style. The other is its content."
-- Fred Rodell

(And a tip of the hat to The (New) Legal Writer for these.)

Studs Turkel, RIP

Let's take a moment to mourn the death of Studs Terkel, a writer who knew when to shut up and let others speak for themselves. A masterful interviewer, Turkel really listened to his subjects and responded to them, instead of just throwing prepared questions at them and scribbling their answers. He could draw interviewees out on minute details--sometimes on subjects that others were afraid to touch (see THE GOOD WAR: An Oral History of World War II).

The LA Times has a wonderful article on Terkel that goes into greater detail about this remarkable man's work. Also, check out the Chicago Historical Society's Web site and this from NPR.

George Carlin, David Foster Wallace, James Crumley, Paul Newman . . . now Studs Terkel. We've been losing a lot of the great ones lately.