1. Miranda July is analyzed by the NYT Magazine. Go see why she is loved and hated. (I can understand not buying her book or going to see her movies but wanting to "beat her with a shoe"? WTF?)
2. Foodie Amanda Hesser talked to Cup of Jo about her how she achieves balance as a working mom and the resultant comments waver from awe to fury (of course). Personally, I just find her life exhausting, with or without the kids.
3. Did you hear about the upcoming Pixar movie BRAVE? The big exciting bit is that not only does it have a female protagonist, but she has curly hair which apparently does not happen in the animated world (or the movies in general, really). This made me think about the new book from Monica Kulling Merci Mister Dash, illustrated by Esperanca Melo. The protagonist, Daphne, is a delightfully red-headed curly-haired little girl. As for the plot, all you need to know is there is a dog, there is a little girl and hijinks ensue. I'm sending my copy along to my niece Emma who is also very curly haired and will love it.
4. Speaking of picture books that I found appealing, I have not seen Birdie's Big-Girl Dress by Sujean Rim but the spread in the Little Brown catalog certainly made me smile. This is a fashionista's dream for sure - the 1950s look is awesome.
5. I am writing my August column right this very minute - and then moving on to September. It's hard to think of September right now though - hard to think of the fall. My book is coming out this fall and after wanting it to happen for so many years, I am now overwhelmed by what I need to be thinking about doing. This post from a debut author is not making me feel any better. I don't have time to do what I apparently have to do to give my book the kind of chance it needs. And yet there is nothing left but all the days between now and then, all those days that will disappear so quickly and I know it. I know they will fly by.
There's never enough time, is there? Maybe that is why my dreams have been filled lately with so many people I've lost; they know better than anyone that there is never enough time.
July 18
2011
02:46 PM
I have seen many authors who do the all-out approach of the author in your book-tour link, including hiring publicists. For some it pays off, but it's no guarantee. There is always way more promo than any human being has time for, especially a human being who hopes to write another book.
In fact, there is the opposite school of thought out there too, and it says: Forget the promo, write another book as fast as you can. It says the best thing for your career is to write a good book, and another and another, because the books' audiences feed one another.
I suspect that a blend of promo and getting on with the writing--a blend that suits the strengths and abilities of the individual author--is probably best, FWIW.
And for a refreshing view on online promo, there is this link from Greg Pincus:
http://www.thehappyaccident.net/no-you-dont-have-to-join-google-2/#more-3120