More Larry Doyle Movie News

As reported in today's Publishers Lunch daily email, Larry Doyle's next novel, Go, Mutants! has sold to Universal Pictures, and will have Doyle adapting for the screen.

This is great news for Doyle, as it is announced right before the movie release of the 'Beth Cooper summer fun film. Before you know it, this guy might be working with Judd Apatow on his next film project. Or he might become the next Apatow. I'm happy to see his nerdy charm working it's wonders [being a fellow nerd]. I may also be getting ahead of myself. Only time will tell.

Tim Akers signs with Pyr Books. Sweet!

I was stoked to read Lou Anders' post on facebook that he has signed up-and-coming fantasy author, Tim Akers' second novel, The Horns of Ruin to Pyr Books. Read all about it here [I also added the Pyr Books blog to my blogroll].


Like Lou, I've read an early version of Tim Akers' debut novel, Heart of Veridon, which will be coming out from Solaris books this Fall. I thought it was really something [although I must confess I was involved in working on a small aspect of the editorial development of this book], but am I wrong in wanting to tell people how much I liked it? I think not.


Let me just quickly also say that I met Tim last year at World Fantasy Con in Calgary and he is a hell of a nice guy and we talked videogames, Magic the Gathering, and other assorted nerdy things over dinner. Soon after I wound up coincidentally working on his book and really loved the world he created. It was fantastical, action packed, and the world ticked with a special mechanical hum. A great read if you're looking for something to sink your teeth into at the end of the summer when it releases.

I simply wanted to echo the great news here. Bravo Lou & Tim!

BEA weekend from my eyes.

It was a fun weekend for me, attending Book Expo America at the Javits Center. Long but fun. Lots of walking around, handshaking, grabbing books, grabbing iced coffee, and taking rests. But between seeing old friends, and meeting so many new ones, I was pleased. I know the press has reported that attendance and giveaways were down from the last few years, but it felt like a rallying show to me in the eyes of the larger world and the doom-and-gloom feelings. I had a blast.

I had the pleasure of joining in the Blogger Signing Event hosted by Firebrand & Netgalley on Saturday at 4pm, which was really neat. I was sharing the table with bloggers: Stephanie of Stephanie's Written Word, and Gayle of Every Day I Write the Book. They were super-nice and it was a treat to be seated with them and talk about books & blogging about them.



Also, I wanted to mention again, one of the books I'm most excited to finish, the graphic memoir by David Small, STITCHES. I snapped a photo of the advance copy, I scored at the Norton booth.

Creepy, sureal, and yet happy and sad at the same time, I'm less than 100 pages in and already swept away by the honesty and cruelty of the story, and I'm attached to the sad story, a touching memoir with emotional art reminiscent of Bill Plimpton and Chester Brown, among others. Here is a photo of the author signing at the W.W. Norton booth - I was glad to see so much buzz generated about this terrific new book.


As Heidi MacDonald summed up at The Beat, it didn't matter one bit that this was a memoir written as a graphic novel to anyone grabbing up a copy. Everyone I spoke with seemed highly impressed with the format and style.

More to come on books I'm excited to read that I picked up at the show and other assorted highlights.

I'm Participating: BEA Blogger Signings

If you’re headed to Book Expo America this year at the Javits Center, be sure to stop by the Firebrand booth (#4077 – same as a favorite M*A*S*H* unit of mine) to see me—and many other bookish folk—at the blogger signings. In an attempt to build community, and slightly mimic author signings which are popular at the show, the good folks at Firebrand Technologies and Netgalley.com want you to check out the line up of book reviewer bloggers they’ve lined up and come say hi. Check out the new Netgalley blog below for details and a schedule.

http://followthereader.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/blogger-signing-schedule/

I’ll be at the table on Saturday at 4:00 pm, sharing with several other book bloggers (see the schedule in the link). If you’re at the show, please stop by and say hi – and support this great idea of pulling book bloggers together.

Stay tuned for more details.

Grim times in the old book trade

It’s all over the blogosphere. Publishers are making major changes. One publishing news site already referring to today as Black Wednesday. That’s awfully disheartening. But reality, it might be.

Major reorganizations at Random House. The head of Simon & Schuster’s Children’s division “leaving the company.” Lots of shake up at Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt after they announced a freeze on new acquisitions. Also, Christian publishing house, Thomas Nelson announced that it’s cutting 10% of its staff, approximately 55 people (according to Publishers Weekly). Hard times all around. Even if god is your copilot.

The Comic Book and SF & Fantasy world have been affected too. I’ve read about layoffs at Wizards of the Coast, the CEO of Devil’s Due leaving his position along with a few staffers let go. And word from L.A. is that Tokyopop has let a few people go.

Also, a few comic book magazines made some startling announcements this week as well.

The Comic Foundry — only in its fifth issue — decided to call it quits, as the good folks behind it are simply too busy with their day jobs. [Edit. Note: I’ve had one small article published in CF #3, and will hopefully have a longer piece about comics in the last issue, #5]. And this magazine was nominated this year for an Eisner Award – an amazing achievement in the comics industry. [tears]

Also, comics industry veteran, Danny Fingeroth’s comics writing magazine, Write Now! will publish its last issue in Feb. of ’09 reports The Beat. I’ve purchased this magazine many times over the past few years, loving its approach to writing in the industry [something near and dear to my heart]. I’ll be definitely picking up the last issue.

Say it ain’t so? [insert appropriate Weezer riff here]

As a freelancer in the publishing world, this is a precarious time to be entering my second year ‘on the outside’ but such is the state of things. This grim reality reminds me how important it is to maintain a positive attitude, not to burn bridges, and to do everything possible to stay connected.

It is also a reminder to be as much of a jack-of-all-trades as possible. And that’s what this experience was all about for me. Trying my hand at special sales, subsidiary rights, book development, marketing strategy, and of course copyediting and proofreading – which I’m enjoying working on right now.

And, it’s important to hustle. I mean to literally hit the pavement. Getting work done at your desk is just fine, but sometimes in this big city, you have to get out there, walk the streets. Shake some hands.

I spent most of today going up and down subway steps, working my way across town then downtown, then back up again, all in the attempt to make a sale at a specialty store. So I lugged two heavy bags of books with me all day, and then dropped them off until the next specialty sale idea comes my way. You don’t know if you’ll succeed until you get out there and give it a try.

I realize the publishing business, just like any other, can be brutal at times. For me, I can’t see myself working with anything else – I love books. Comics, thrillers, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, and of course non-fiction, such as military history.

I don’t know who I’m writing this post to. Maybe to myself. It’s scary when you see reorganizations happening (and I’ve been through one or two myself) and witness magazines fold. Not to mention watching the news these days about our economy is painful.

But we carry on. That’s what we do. Publishing folk. New Yorkers. Editors. Writers. People. We carry on.

As I told a friend earlier today when I emailed him to see if he was still safe at his day job, in the eternal words of Trent Reznor:

The Way Out Is Through [words to live by]