Hiatus

As you may have noticed, lords and ladies, I haven't quite been bringing my "A" game the past couple of months. Between increased responsibilities at work and a host of other demands on my time, I'm afraid I'm going to have to put Pimp My Novel on indefinite hiatus.

Not to worry—nothing terrible has happened/is happening. It's just that there are only so many hours in the day, and I know I'm not going to be able to do a consistent or good job with this blog once the Publishing Giant reawakens in September.

It pains me to write this, folks, since so many of you have been here since day one. You've encouraged me to write about the industry, shared with me (and your fellow writers) your tips, advice, stories, works in progress, successes, and setbacks, and I want to thank all of you for your time and generosity over the past two years. Seriously, y'all are the best.

So: thank you. Hopefully I'll be seeing (read: posting for) you again soon.

Prithee, Inform Me: Your WIP

It recently occurred to me, mes auteurs, that you are amazingly patient people. You work on your novels for months or years, then query agents for months or years, and then wait months after that for a deal with a publishing house, only to wait a year (or more!) for your book to be released to the hungry hungry public. And, of course, you read this blog day in and day out, which means you have a strong stomach (the publishing industry is a scary place) and a high tolerance for cheerful nonsense. So: thanks!

But I digress. Today, bros and she-bros, I invite you to tell me and other loyal readers like yourselves about your current work(s)-in-progress. What genre do you write? How long have you been writing? What's your protagonist (dare I say... brotagonist) like? How far along are you in your manuscript? The questions, like your patience, is endless.

Without any further ado: to the comments!

Kindle Me This, Kindle Me That

It's time for more book recommendations, mes auteurs!

At Jason Black's request, I'll share the Twitter recommendations I've received so far (and be sure to tweet me your own, or leave them in the comments here). I'll throw in a few of my own as well!

Dan Krokos recommends Josh Bazell's Beat the Reaper;

Jason Black recommends Natalie Standiford's How to Say Goodbye in Robot, Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me, and D.M. Cornish's Monster Blood Tattoo series (books one and two, respectively);

Terry Odell mentions (jokingly, I'm sure, but I'm happy to spread the word) her own list of romantic suspense/mystery titles (I'm sure they're fantastic, but have yet to read);

Alexis Lampley recommends The Harvard Lampoon's Nightlight (a parody of Twilight);

and Joseph L. Selby is amped for Lois McMaster Bujold's Cryoburn to come out in November.

As for me, I'm recommending Hans Fallada's Every Man Dies Alone, Rae Armantrout's Versed (the paperback is due out in August), and Best American Short Stories 2009 (edited by Alice Sebold and Heidi Pitlor).

You can also check out this recent interview I did with The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog... Period for some titles on my to-read list.

Prithee, Inform Me: Kindle or iPad?

Spurred by this New Yorker article detailing the ongoing battle between Amazon and Apple (read: the Kindle and the iPad, the status quo and the agency model), this week's Prithee, Inform Me focuses on the two most high-profile e-reading devices on the U.S. market.

Prithee, inform me, dear readers: do you own a Kindle or an iPad? If so, why one and not the other (or, if both, why)? If not, why not? Do you see the Kindle and the iPad as catering to different markets, or do you think they're both vying for the same readership and only one can emerge victorious?

Have at it!

We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming

Due to a minor crisis, PMN won't be updating regularly for the next couple of days. Not to worry, fair readers—everyone is currently fine—but I appreciate your patience as I work to get everything straightened out and this, your preferred source of publishing-related content*, back on track.

Thanks!




*Not based on fact, scientific or otherwise.