My brain this week.
Apologies to the handful of folks who received the half-written Friday Feast yesterday (a Thursday). The Super Blood Moon, jet lag, deep fried corndogs*, and funnel cakes affected my ability to read the calendar and complete sentences.
But they did not dampen my enthusiasm for this week’s links, which are all about the money, money, money! And other stuff.
- How Emily Gould got a $200,000 advance but ended up in the red.
- New Guild Survey Reveals Majority of Authors Earn Below Poverty Line. Read on for all the depressing details!
- Bookseller and debut author Vanessa Blakeslee shares her tips for selling your book. “Above all, I’d like for both booksellers and authors to learn how to better connect with readers, and through that connection, to increase sales.”
- Let’s change the subject and read instead about the daily schedules of nine editors. Excerpt: “(Get some coffee first, because this is about as exciting as lukewarm oatmeal!)”
- The always hilarious Rebecca Makkai created a super useful form for writers who need to ask favors of other writers, like agent introductions, book blurbs, recommendation letters, and more!
Special programming note:
If you live in the Greater Boston area, please join us next Tuesday, October 6 at Trident Booksellers and Cafe for the Craft on Draft reading series! Novel Incubator alum Stephanie Gayle and Patricia Park, along with Dead Darlings contributor and friend Anjali Mitter Duva, will discuss the importance of setting. Imagine Harry Potter without Hogwarts, Huck Finn on the Nile, or Beloved haunting Beijing. Settings animate the story. Hear our featured readers discuss why they chose their settings and how this influenced their novels.
* Pro tip: never, ever Google “corn dog” gif. It’s bad news.
