SlushPile.net

Various outlets picked up a where Charlie Sheen is writing a memoir that he thinks might be worth $10 million. Presumably, he is writing the text himself and there hasn’t been any word of a ghostwriter being involved. But for the sake of our discussion, let’s hypothetically assume that a co-author or ghostwriter were brought [...]

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I often complain about how everyone in the world who achieves a level of fame in this country gets to write (or co-author) a book. Win the Super Bowl, get a book deal. Sleep with a politician, get a book deal. Star in a reality show, get a book deal. The vast majority of time, [...]

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It’s been a hectic late fall and early winter, so posts have been pretty light here at Slushpile.net, as you’ve probably noticed. We’ll be back to a more normal schedule this week and then moving like clockwork in 2011. But in spite of the busy days and all-nighters, I was so glad to spend Thanksgiving [...]

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Hi folks. As you have probably noticed, we’re experimenting with a new theme and some other goodies here at Slushpile.net. So please pardon our dust for a few days while we shake everything out.

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Well, in all honesty, I guess I can’t really say that Cormac McCarthy was robbed of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Mario Vargas Llosa is a worthy winner even if I wasn’t pulling for him.

But what’s most worth discussing (possibly to the point of revealing some glaring literary inadequacy in myself) is that Cormac McCarthy’s possibility of receiving the Nobel is the only time I’ve really gotten fired up about the award, the only time I felt like cheering, somehow rooting on an author, as though I were watching a sporting event. I mean, I wanted to wear a Blood Meridian T-shirt yesterday and invite pals over for a beer to await the announcement.

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Life feels like it is finally getting back to normal here at the Slushpile.net libraries… After months of interviews, publicist meetings, travel obligations, and general craziness related to the release of my first book The Man Behind the Nose: Assassins, Astronauts, Cannibals, and Other Stupendous Tales, things seem to be settling down to a more [...]

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Aspiring authors often get frustrated at the lack of feedback from agents who decline to represent our books. But literary agent Rachelle Gardner makes a great analogy to explain the thought process of rejecting agents: “”When you walk through the department store looking for clothes, do you stop at every single item of clothing and [...]

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Years ago, aspiring authors struggled in a sort of abyss, with no information about the publishing industry and process available. Maybe you had some colleagues who could provide a few tips. Maybe you relied on some out-dated books for strategies and techniques. But as a whole, information was pretty lacking. Nowadays, with all the information [...]

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A number of Slushpile readers have emailed questions about the activities regarding this first week of my first book’s release. One of the questions was, “What’s the most surprising thing about the release?” And my answer might surprise you. Before that, I need to explain something about myself: I’m pretty good and juggling multiple responsibilities [...]

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Recently, I wondered why authors don’t produce t-shirts and other items in a similar manner to musicians and other artists. Today, GalleyCat pointed out that Eat, Pray, Love gear was featured on the Home Shopping Network. Now, this might not be your particular taste or something that you would want to do for your own [...]

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At the Huffington Post, Anis Shivani provides a photographic run-through of the 15 most overrated contemporary American writers. I don’t agree with all his choices, but still, it’s an invigorating argument to get the juices flowing on a Monday morning. As part of the problem, Shivani claims that “The MFA writing system, with its mechanisms [...]

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It’s been a busy week here (hence, the lack of posts) but a good one. On Tuesday, I received a box full of copies of my first book from the publisher. It’s a major milestone and feels fantastic. Check out this photo… It’s proof that you can survive the rejection letters, the aloof agents and [...]

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NBA superstar LeBron James’s recent announcement that he would play for the Miami Heat next season brings (thankfully) a close to one of the biggest media maelstromstrom in sports history. So I’m wondering how long it will be before we see news of a “LeBron to the Heat” book sale. World soccer icon David Beckham’s [...]

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I made my feelings about writing books years ago. So I tend to ignore most of the industry news about how-to-write and how-to-get-published books. But in yesterday’s Publishers Marketplace there was a tidbit that gave me a sense of deja vu all over again. Here’s the news item that caught my attention, from Monday, June [...]

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