Taxes Won't Solve This Problem

I can remember, as a high school student in the 1970s, observing the advent of personal computers. The Apple, the IBM, the Commodore 64, the Radio Shack TRS-80. The Internet, in its earliest stages, remained the province of government officials and university professors.

Oh, how I longed to possess one of these space-age miracle machines. I begged my parents to help me buy one. (I already had a part-time job, and could contribute to the cause.) But what did I want it for? I didn’t know, exactly. In fact, I didn’t have a clue. I only knew that I wanted to join that exclusive club of the sophisticated and privileged.

Institutionalized Racism in Publishing?

Just this morning, I came across an interesting post from one of my friends on Facebook. My friend, who (like me) happens to be black, posted links to articles from yesterday’s New York Times: here and here.

Long story short: There aren’t enough books out there for black kids. Most children’s books feature white kids from the suburbs, not colored kids from the ’hood. Who will be their heroes? Who will be their role models? Surely Encyclopedia Brown or Charlie Bucket (my favorites, in my wonder years) will never do.

Who is to blame for this institutionalized racism? And what might be a way forward? Curiously these articles are fuzzy on both counts, but one described the situation as “apartheid.” Which (at least for me) implies forced segregation at the hand of the white man.

All Hail the Agents

Much has been written in recent years, about the evolving role of literary agents. Some would say that the brave new world of self-publishing has made them obsolete. Others insist that they’re just a den of dinosaurs, struggling to stay relevant and steal fees from unsuspecting authors, in a world that has passed them by. No doubt the current environment brings new challenges for the business, but I daresay that the reports of our demise are quite premature.

First, as to the rise of self-pub: Surely we’ve all heard the success stories of self-published books that went on to greatness; The Shack and Fifty Shades come immediately to mind. But why do you suppose it is that these stories garner so much ink in the popular media? The answer, of course, is that they’re so rare. For every gonzo hit that you hear about, there are tens of thousands that barely left the gate.

Details Matter. Period.

Last week I wandered into an online discussion group, where I was intrigued by the question,

“I just found out that I’m supposed to use one space after a period instead of two. After typing one way for so many years, it seems silly to change. Do you think it’s important to follow this rule?”

A little background: The double-space convention was a product of the old days of manual typesetting (I will spare you the boring details). And with old-style typewriters that made all characters the same width, a double-space was deemed necessary to distinguish the end of a sentence. But now that almost all of us compose on computers that can make those adjustments automatically, the single-space is sufficient. Confused? Me too.

What To Expect When You're Expecting (An Agent)

Good news! You sent off your book proposal to a literary agent, and he liked it. Better news! A few days later, despite your doubts, the agency contract arrives in your mailbox. You open the envelope, and lay out the document on your dining room table. And there it is, staring at you, taunting you, begging for your signature.

Now what? Should you sign it? Most first-time authors won’t have a clue. Before you face that momentous decision, here are some of the standard provisions you’ll find in most agency contracts. Let's strip away the legalese, and get down to it:

Why Won't They Tell Me?

Every time I speak at a writers’ conference, and every time I foolishly wander into an Internet chat room, I can expect to hear certain questions from aspiring authors. Sooner or later, in one form or another, one question always seems to come up:

Why won’t agents and editors tell me why they rejected my book? Or worse, why won’t they answer at all? 

As a writer, I certainly feel their pain; how can I ever hope to improve, if no one will tell me what needs improving? But after three years as agent, it’s easy to see the other side. 

First, it’s not my job. I know that sounds unbelievably cold and callous, but it’s true. I’m here to identify promising writers, offer their works to prospective publishers, and then negotiate the deal. Every minute I spend away from those functions, causes me to shirk my contractual obligations to existing clients. 

Book Review: Boy Meets Girl; Will They Get Out Alive?

So, what’s wrong with our world today? There are many answers to this important question, of course, but let me posit a scenario: Children grow up without godly values. Because their parents have a lousy marriage. Because they started out with a directionless courtship. The consequences are huge, and far-reaching.

In his new book Dating Like Airplanes, Caleb Breakey doesn’t preach. He shares his own struggles in pursuit of (now-wife) Brittney; his mistakes, joys, and hard-learned lessons. True love is about giving, not taking. Waiting, not rushing. Self-examination, and seeking advice from those who have gone before.
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