Finding an Agent

You've finished a manuscript. After years of toiling away, you've finally gotten to the point where the characters are fully developed, the plot makes sense, and you're ready to send your book out into the world. One question remains: where do you send it?

I came across a guide to finding an agent recently on The Nervous Breakdown. Take a look for information on how to write a query letter and who to target. Also, the fiction self-interviews are quite funny.

Adjuncts and the MLA

The MLA president recently posted his reaction to a summit concerning adjunct positions in universities here. For those of you considering a career teaching in higher education, some of the issues broached should be taken into consideration before venturing idealistically into life in the ivory tower. Read on for further understanding of the realities facing adjuncts in the university.

All Things Bookish

If you're like me, sometimes it can be a sisyphean task to stay abreast of everything that's happening in the book world. I'm posting a few links that can help you with your literary life.

Duotrope - this is a great site for those of you who are submitting. It has an extensive list of journals by genre, as well as expected response times and acceptance rates. Anyone who is serious about submitting will spend some time looking over this site.

Galleycat - Mediabistro's news feed on all things publishing. It's a good way to stay up to date with what's happening in the book industry.

The Book Bench - The New Yorker's book blog. Need I say more?

Call for Submissions: Specter Magazine's Hip-Hop Issue

Hi folks. I'm guest editing a special themed issue of Specter Magazine.

From the submission guidelines:

Submissions for Specter Magazine's first themed issue, The Hip-Hop Issue, are now open. We're looking for fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and art/photography which embodies a hip-hop aesthetic. 

Find more details and submit here (bottom of the page).


Deadline is April, 30, 2012
I'll be doing periodic updates about the issue here: The Specter Collective

Submit away!

Rion Amilcar Scott, MFA '08
Datsun Flambe
Forgotten Tunnel TV

The Nobel and American Novelists

Swede Tomas Transtrober wins the Nobel. Here is a look at American writing in relation to the esteemed prize.

Publishing and Digital Content

With the rise of music you can download, record stores became obsolete. Many musicians moved to online forums for their work. The ease with which someone could post music increased. Artists received greater exposure as a result. Numerous success stories emerged of people who found record deals after their youtube videos went viral. People download individual tracks rather than whole albums now. The framework of the music industry changed as a result of advances in the delivery of music.

I wonder if similar changes will affect the publishing industry. With e-readers delivering digital content, what's to stop authors from posting short stories for sale? We could see a resurgence in the short story as a result of the ease with which readers can access the story. Take Barry Eisler for example. You can read about how he bucked the traditional publishing contract for a digital deal with Amazon here. I wonder if emerging authors will embrace online delivery for their work. The possibility exists for finding a broader audience. Say you offer a section of your novel as free downloadable content. It gathers interest on the web. Publishers take note and you end up with a book deal as a result. It could streamline the publication process. Instead of the slush pile, editors would file through the stories with the highest hits. It's an interesting scenario to imagine. Innovative indie writing could find a larger audience. Rather than rely wholly on an editor's decision to publish, user ratings could drive sales of writing.

Will digital content revolutionize publishing? Will indie writing find a groundswell of support through digital venues? I'm not sure, but the possibility is heartening. Time will tell if readers are willing to embrace digital forms of reading over a tangible book.

Literary Guide to DC

Need to find a bookstore in DC? Looking for writers' communities in the area? Check out the Washington, DC city guide from Poets & Writers here. It's well worth your time.