The Litopia podcasts, from Litopia Writers’ Colony, are the 'net's original and foremost podcasts for writers. There are currently two strands: LITOPIA DAILY and LITOPIA AFTER DARK. LITOPIA DAILY is a quick-but-essential daily briefing for writers: between 5 to 10 minutes of the hottest news and comment, plus regular features that are as stimulating as your morning cup of Java. LITOPIA AFTER DARK is a weekly international panel discussion hosted by literary agent Peter Cox. Recorded every Friday in front of a live audience on UStream (see the website for details: http://www.litopia.com/podcast). Guests are drawn very widely: from the titans of the publishing business to neophyte novelists - everyone gets a crack if they have something significant to say and a witty way of saying it. We look forward to your company! http://www.litopia.com/podcast/ (c) 2009 All Rights Reserved http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss en-us Sun, 7 Feb 2010 20:28:03 +0000 podcast@litopia.com Sun, 7 Feb 2010 20:10:59 +0000 podcast@litopia.com FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com The Net’s Favorite & Foremost Podcasts For Writers The Litopia podcasts, from Litopia Writers’ Colony, are the 'net's original and foremost podcasts for writers. There are currently two strands: LITOPIA DAILY and LITOPIA AFTER DARK. LITOPIA DAILY is a quick-but-essential daily briefing for writers: between 5 to 10 minutes of the hottest news and comment, plus regular features that are as stimulating as your morning cup of Java. LITOPIA AFTER DARK is a weekly international panel discussion hosted by literary agent Peter Cox. Recorded every Friday in front of a live audience on UStream (see the website for details: http://podcast.litopia.com). Guests are drawn very widely: from the titans of the publishing business to neophyte novelists - everyone gets a crack if they have something significant to say and a witty way of saying it. We look forward to your company! Litopia Writers' Colony Peter Cox podcast@litopia.com writing, literature, getting published, books, television, films, authors no no http://www.litopia.com/podcast/media/lwp.png http://www.litopia.com/podcast/ Peter Cox hosts the Litopia podcast 140 140 You'd think it was hard enough just being a writer, wouldn't you? However, an increasing number of writers are voluntarily choosing to make their lives even tougher - by choosing to vanquish their own, personal, real-life nemesis. Could your writing improve with a nemesis? Listen to Philippa Ballantine, one of our star guests tonight, and decide. It's all ashes and sackcloth tonight as our other star guest, Graham Marks, takes writers to task for being lazy. Well, not all writers - just a few prosperous ones, such as Elmore Leonard - maybe he needs a nemesis? With regular panellist Dave Bartram addressing authenticity in writing, and Donna Ballman foreseeing a resurgence of interest in sci fi and fantasy among young readers - we've got all your bases covered this week! http://www.litopia.com/podcast/?p=3550 72975595-CF2D-44B7-AC7C-3243E7D443B1 Sun, 7 Feb 2010 20:10:59 +0000 For the more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' books You'd think it was hard enough just being a writer, wouldn't you? However, an increasing number of writers are voluntarily choosing to make their lives even tougher - by choosing to vanquish their own, personal, real-life nemesis. Could your writing improve with a nemesis? Listen to Philippa Ballantine, one of our star guests tonight, and decide. It's all ashes and sackcloth tonight as our other star guest, Graham Marks, takes writers to task for being lazy. Well, not all writers - just a few prosperous ones, such as Elmore Leonard - maybe he needs a nemesis? With regular panellist Dave Bartram addressing authenticity in writing, and Donna Ballman foreseeing a resurgence of interest in sci fi and fantasy among young readers - we've got all your bases covered this week! 1:05:50 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no It's launch time! Scholastic Children's Books are publishing the latest book in the bestselling children's series The Joshua Files: Zero Moment by novelist - and Litopian - MG Harris... and we're all invited to the bash. In fact, one dedicated Litopian has journeyed all the way from Germany just to be at the event! So grab your VIP invitation and let's cross the velvet rope to a chilled glass of bubbly and some very special cake... as Litopia Daily goes on location courtesy of the wonderful staff of Blackwells in Oxford, where some very keen young fans are eagerly waiting to grill the author... http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3545 3B2DA208-279A-4436-B903-860D4F0A633B Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:59:59 +0000 Can girls play football? It's launch time! Scholastic Children's Books are publishing the latest book in the bestselling children's series The Joshua Files: Zero Moment by novelist - and Litopian - MG Harris... and we're all invited to the bash. In fact, one dedicated Litopian has journeyed all the way from Germany just to be at the event! So grab your VIP invitation and let's cross the velvet rope to a chilled glass of bubbly and some very special cake... as Litopia Daily goes on location courtesy of the wonderful staff of Blackwells in Oxford, where some very keen young fans are eagerly waiting to grill the author... 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no From the hush-hush world of the publishing insider... with the scandals and scuttlebutt – the rumours and rumbles – the leaks and lowdowns... it's time fror your Monday-morning dose of The Debriefer's insight, analysis and fun. Presented by Donna Ballman and Peter Cox. Got an inside tip for us? Then send it to debriefer [AT] litopia.eu http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3540 F56E574E-6F3F-43A3-9B63-013968CBE3F9 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:11:04 +0000 Featuring the good folk of Menifee, CA From the hush-hush world of the publishing insider... with the scandals and scuttlebutt – the rumours and rumbles – the leaks and lowdowns... it's time fror your Monday-morning dose of The Debriefer's insight, analysis and fun. Presented by Donna Ballman and Peter Cox. Got an inside tip for us? Then send it to debriefer [AT] litopia.eu 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no In what is arguably the most significant week in publishing this decade - maybe even this century - we're giving Apple's newly launched iPad a rigorous examination - and coming to a surprising verdict - in this week's edition of Litopia After Dark. Will Steve Jobs' multi-function e-reader succeed in changing our lives in the same way as Gutenberg's movable type did in the 15th century? The stakes could hardly be higher. The iPad is almost certainly his enduring legacy to the world - and his personal bid for historical immortality. Many in the publishing industry itself are fervently hoping that this new type of product - a "device of the third category" as Jobs calls it - will rescue the business from extinction. Will they be proved right - or wrong? We've got a terrific panel to discuss this and other topics tonight - Simon Flynn, managing director of Icon Books, is our voice from the business itself, and of course there's Donna Ballman (whose new book The Writer's Guide to the Courtroom is just out) and Dave Bartram to inject reality and wit in equal measure. Also on the panel tonight is John Quirk, whose own newly-formed publishing business is being tracked on Litopia Daily. http://www.litopia.com/podcast/?p=3530 7C38AF40-CB77-41BC-B639-02B53ABFF0C5 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:32:53 +0000 Soluble Urethral Crayons - devices of the third category In what is arguably the most significant week in publishing this decade - maybe even this century - we're giving Apple's newly launched iPad a rigorous examination - and coming to a surprising verdict - in this week's edition of Litopia After Dark. Will Steve Jobs' multi-function e-reader succeed in changing our lives in the same way as Gutenberg's movable type did in the 15th century? The stakes could hardly be higher. The iPad is almost certainly his enduring legacy to the world - and his personal bid for historical immortality. Many in the publishing industry itself are fervently hoping that this new type of product - a "device of the third category" as Jobs calls it - will rescue the business from extinction. Will they be proved right - or wrong? We've got a terrific panel to discuss this and other topics tonight - Simon Flynn, managing director of Icon Books, is our voice from the business itself, and of course there's Donna Ballman (whose new book The Writer's Guide to the Courtroom is just out) and Dave Bartram to inject reality and wit in equal measure. Also on the panel tonight is John Quirk, whose own newly-formed publishing business is being tracked on Litopia Daily. 1:05:50 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Do you know where the Isle of Man is? It's a small island (32 miles long, 14 miles wide) in the Irish sea, about half way between Britain and Ireland. Not part of the United Kingdom, nor even part of the European Union, it has a curious relationship with the UK, having its own parliament and government, but dependent on the UK for foreign relations and defence. It has a population of just 80,000 people. Litopia's own John Quirk, a regular voice on Litopia After Dark, is a Manx man born and bred, and in this edition of Litopia Daily, he tells us about his plans to set up a publishing business on his home island. John's first book, The Manx Connection, was published in November 2007. And his follow-up, The Manx Giant, has just been published. We'll be following John's progress with at Nemesis Publishing every month or two, so join us to see how he copes with the triumphs and challenges of a running a small press. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3525 7DCF3014-93CC-4356-8156-3F78CA75E2FA Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:24:32 +0000 Publishing in a small island Do you know where the Isle of Man is? It's a small island (32 miles long, 14 miles wide) in the Irish sea, about half way between Britain and Ireland. Not part of the United Kingdom, nor even part of the European Union, it has a curious relationship with the UK, having its own parliament and government, but dependent on the UK for foreign relations and defence. It has a population of just 80,000 people. Litopia's own John Quirk, a regular voice on Litopia After Dark, is a Manx man born and bred, and in this edition of Litopia Daily, he tells us about his plans to set up a publishing business on his home island. John's first book, The Manx Connection, was published in November 2007. And his follow-up, The Manx Giant, has just been published. We'll be following John's progress with at Nemesis Publishing every month or two, so join us to see how he copes with the triumphs and challenges of a running a small press. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no From the hush-hush world of the publishing insider -on the QT and totally off the record... with the scandals and scuttlebutt – the rumours and rumbles – the leaks and lowdowns... we're delighted to present you with THE DEBRIEFER! Brought to you every Monday morning by Donna Ballman and Peter Cox. Got an inside tip for us? Then send it to debriefer [AT] litopia.eu http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3476 B3719BE0-7492-49A3-8E93-14CFE464EB87 Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:38:15 +0000 Pigs who wear belts From the hush-hush world of the publishing insider -on the QT and totally off the record... with the scandals and scuttlebutt – the rumours and rumbles – the leaks and lowdowns... we're delighted to present you with THE DEBRIEFER! Brought to you every Monday morning by Donna Ballman and Peter Cox. Got an inside tip for us? Then send it to debriefer [AT] litopia.eu 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Is online book piracy a good or bad thing for authors? Whichever it is - can we really do anything about it? And what it's got to do with Cory Doctorow's sperm count (quite a lot, actually). Our special guest tonight is author and podcasting diva Mur Lafferty, and she fits right into the dystopia that is Litopia After Dark with frightening ease. Seeing her and raising her one are our veteran panellists Donna Ballman from Florida, Dave Bartram from the west of England and Eve Harvey from bonnie Edinburgh. http://www.litopia.com/podcast/?p=3502 78603678-4AA5-47DE-BCB4-800BD45DF694 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 11:50:24 +0000 31 billion sperm and only one sale Is online book piracy a good or bad thing for authors? Whichever it is - can we really do anything about it? And what it's got to do with Cory Doctorow's sperm count (quite a lot, actually). Our special guest tonight is author and podcasting diva Mur Lafferty, and she fits right into the dystopia that is Litopia After Dark with frightening ease. Seeing her and raising her one are our veteran panellists Donna Ballman from Florida, Dave Bartram from the west of England and Eve Harvey from bonnie Edinburgh. 1:05:50 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Right! Rip the decorations down, shape up and let’s get serious. Party time’s over (but it was a good one, wasn’t it?). It’s a new year and arguably a new decade – we’re all business tonight on Litopia After Dark, sorting out the troubles of the publishing business, telling you which predictions for this decade are worth listening to, and warning you about the latest cunning ruses to part authors from their hard-earned royalties. As always, we’re vastly international, with Donna Ballman from Florida, Martyn Daniels and Dave Bartram from the UK, and newcomer Rob Daniel all the way from Western Australia. http://www.litopia.com/podcast/?p=3466 086CFEF8-942B-4E25-AD7A-77FA0085703D Sat, 9 Jan 2010 18:02:43 +0000 FSG moves to the Dark Side Right! Rip the decorations down, shape up and let’s get serious. Party time’s over (but it was a good one, wasn’t it?). It’s a new year and arguably a new decade – we’re all business tonight on Litopia After Dark, sorting out the troubles of the publishing business, telling you which predictions for this decade are worth listening to, and warning you about the latest cunning ruses to part authors from their hard-earned royalties. As always, we’re vastly international, with Donna Ballman from Florida, Martyn Daniels and Dave Bartram from the UK, and newcomer Rob Daniel all the way from Western Australia. 53:47 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Scott Sigler is widely acknowledged to be the first New York Times best-selling novelist to have used the new medium of podcasting to build a large online following by giving away his self-recorded audiobooks as free, serialized podcasts. His loyal fans, who named themselves “Junkies,” have downloaded over seven million individual episodes of his stories and interact daily with Scott and each other in the social media space. Scott has his feet firmly planted in both “traditional” publishing as well as new media. Crown Publishing (a division of Random House) publish his hardcover thrillers INFECTED and CONTAGIOUS (his next hardcover is ANCESTOR, due out May 4, 2010). But Scott is also the founder of Dark Overlord Media, a publisher specializing in high-end, limited edition hardcovers for authors who have successfully embraced social media to build their readership. Scott's novel THE ROOKIE is Dark Overlord's flagship product. This engrossing interview with Scott concludes our series of discussions with authors who podcast, and is also Litopia Daily’s last podcast of 2009. We’ll be back on Monday, January 11th, and Litopia After Dark will be back on Friday January the 8th – do join us live in the chatroom! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3455 70C3D4A4-6651-4FA8-A930-5B13345750E6 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:25:51 +0000 Buy my book, you cheap bastard! Scott Sigler is widely acknowledged to be the first New York Times best-selling novelist to have used the new medium of podcasting to build a large online following by giving away his self-recorded audiobooks as free, serialized podcasts. His loyal fans, who named themselves “Junkies,” have downloaded over seven million individual episodes of his stories and interact daily with Scott and each other in the social media space. Scott has his feet firmly planted in both “traditional” publishing as well as new media. Crown Publishing (a division of Random House) publish his hardcover thrillers INFECTED and CONTAGIOUS (his next hardcover is ANCESTOR, due out May 4, 2010). But Scott is also the founder of Dark Overlord Media, a publisher specializing in high-end, limited edition hardcovers for authors who have successfully embraced social media to build their readership. Scott's novel THE ROOKIE is Dark Overlord's flagship product. This engrossing interview with Scott concludes our series of discussions with authors who podcast, and is also Litopia Daily’s last podcast of 2009. We’ll be back on Monday, January 11th, and Litopia After Dark will be back on Friday January the 8th – do join us live in the chatroom! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Erotic science fiction author Nobilis Reed is the latest fascinating subject in our continuing probing of the emerging world of writers who are successfully using the new medium of podcasting to enhance their work and build their audience. Nobilis not only podcasts his own work but also accepts submissions from other authors – see his site here. How does "giving it all away for free" work as a business model? And why does the “professional” publishing world still continue to look down on indie-publishing? Another great and stimulating (ahem!) interview. Our series concludes tomorrow with an unmissable one-on-one session with the author who has used podcasting to catapult himself into the New York Times bestseller lists – the legendary Scott Sigler. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3449 7E92EA90-68DA-4C0D-B218-EB25EBBC20B3 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 13:42:55 +0000 Science fiction beyond the airlock door Erotic science fiction author Nobilis Reed is the latest fascinating subject in our continuing probing of the emerging world of writers who are successfully using the new medium of podcasting to enhance their work and build their audience. Nobilis not only podcasts his own work but also accepts submissions from other authors – see his site here. How does "giving it all away for free" work as a business model? And why does the “professional” publishing world still continue to look down on indie-publishing? Another great and stimulating (ahem!) interview. Our series concludes tomorrow with an unmissable one-on-one session with the author who has used podcasting to catapult himself into the New York Times bestseller lists – the legendary Scott Sigler. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Just for subscribers to our feed (this isn't on the website)... the full rendering of Mr. Andrew Gillman's Twelve Days of Christmas! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3443 3F2C39BA-AB17-4E0D-AB1C-696E3F17AEA0 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:12:44 +0000 Merry Christmas to All Our Listeners! Just for subscribers to our feed (this isn't on the website)... the full rendering of Mr. Andrew Gillman's Twelve Days of Christmas! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Today we’re going down under – New Zealand, to be precise – to chat with award-winning author and podcaster Philippa Ballantine. Her father introduced her to fantasy and science fiction at an early age by thinking Lord of the Rings was a suitable bedtime story. After devouring his library, she decided that she'd have to give writing a go, and at thirteen completed her first novel. Books have now taken over her life completely, and in common with our other featured authors this week, Philippa is a pioneer of the author/podcaster route to market: a highly successful route in her case, because she’s just landed a two-book deal with Ace Books! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3443 DB4008B5-026F-4177-9F74-7F3EC67B57E8 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:20:39 +0000 She weaves a web to a book deal Today we’re going down under – New Zealand, to be precise – to chat with award-winning author and podcaster Philippa Ballantine. Her father introduced her to fantasy and science fiction at an early age by thinking Lord of the Rings was a suitable bedtime story. After devouring his library, she decided that she'd have to give writing a go, and at thirteen completed her first novel. Books have now taken over her life completely, and in common with our other featured authors this week, Philippa is a pioneer of the author/podcaster route to market: a highly successful route in her case, because she’s just landed a two-book deal with Ace Books! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no J. Daniel Sawyer is today’s subject in our continuing series of conversations with authors who have branched out into the exciting new medium of podcasting. A man of wide accomplishments – inter alia he’s an authority on Open Source media production, he writes for LinuxJournal, pens occasional popular philosophy articles and does voice work on other authors’ podcasts – but it’s his science fiction and fantasy writing combined with his audio engineer’s expertise that produces high-quality podcasts such as Predestination, Free Will and many more besides. Dan has garnered six Parsec nominations for excellence in Speculative Fiction podcasting, and is a deep-thinking pioneer of this new medium who we’ll be watching with great interest in the future. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3435 BBFC0EB7-030F-4169-BF5C-7BAEE001EDF7 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:39:26 +0000 The Antithesis Progression J. Daniel Sawyer is today’s subject in our continuing series of conversations with authors who have branched out into the exciting new medium of podcasting. A man of wide accomplishments – inter alia he’s an authority on Open Source media production, he writes for LinuxJournal, pens occasional popular philosophy articles and does voice work on other authors’ podcasts – but it’s his science fiction and fantasy writing combined with his audio engineer’s expertise that produces high-quality podcasts such as Predestination, Free Will and many more besides. Dan has garnered six Parsec nominations for excellence in Speculative Fiction podcasting, and is a deep-thinking pioneer of this new medium who we’ll be watching with great interest in the future. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Mur (pronounced as in gold and frankincense) Lafferty is today’s destination in our continuing voyage to explore the exciting new worlds of authors who podcast their own work. She’s the host and co-editor of Pseudopod, a horror podcast, and also hosts the podcasts Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should Be Writing – the latter won a Parsec award in 2007 and a Podcast Peer Award in 2008. In fall 2007 she podcasted her first full length novel: Playing for Keeps, which won the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Novel, was published by Swarm Press and reached the number one position in Science Fiction on Amazon.com. Mur has written 15 role-playing games, a textbook on podcasting, Tricks of the Podcasting Masters, and several magazines. She will be the host and producer for the forthcoming official Tor.com story podcast, featuring some of the best short stories published today. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3430 F2FB10BE-8407-4831-8A85-8C93B73D90C8 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:48:52 +0000 A savvy woman in podcasting Mur (pronounced as in gold and frankincense) Lafferty is today’s destination in our continuing voyage to explore the exciting new worlds of authors who podcast their own work. She’s the host and co-editor of Pseudopod, a horror podcast, and also hosts the podcasts Geek Fu Action Grip and I Should Be Writing – the latter won a Parsec award in 2007 and a Podcast Peer Award in 2008. In fall 2007 she podcasted her first full length novel: Playing for Keeps, which won the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Novel, was published by Swarm Press and reached the number one position in Science Fiction on Amazon.com. Mur has written 15 role-playing games, a textbook on podcasting, Tricks of the Podcasting Masters, and several magazines. She will be the host and producer for the forthcoming official Tor.com story podcast, featuring some of the best short stories published today. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The idea of authors podcasting their own books is one of the most exciting recent developments in writing and publishing, and we’re delighted to bring you today an in-depth interview with the man who started in all – writer and podcaster Tee Morris. Tee began his writing career in 2002 with the award-nominated historical epic fantasy, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2004, his title Billibub Baddings and The Case of The Singing Sword, a spoof of both the Fantasy and Hard-Boiled Detective novel, received an Honorable Mention for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year award, and was a finalist for the Independent Publisher's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. In 2005, came up with the idea of podcasting a novel in order to promote its sequel. MOREVI went on to become the first book podcast in its entirety and was nominated for a 2006 Parsec for Best Podcast Fiction. Podcasting MOREVI also led to the founding of Podiobooks.com and the premiere of Legacy of MOREVI: Book One of the Arathellean Wars (a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Best Science Fiction of 2005). He has, since then, podcasted The Case of The Singing Sword which won a Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama, MOREVI: Remastered, and a host of other podcasts at imaginethatstudios.com and teemorris.com. Podcasting introduced Tee to Social Media, and Social Media introduced Tee's writing to an even larger audience. With his success in podcasting, Tee penned both Podcasting for Dummies (with Chuck Tomasi and Evo Terra) and Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies (with Evo Terra and Ryan Williams). In July of 2009, he released his third Social Media-related title, All a Twitter, from Que Publishing, and then in October Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes. Adding to both books is the ten minutes companion podcast, Bird House Rules, at http://birdhouserules.com. Tee is the most enthusiastic advocate for author podcasting you’ll meet; this comprehensive interview kicks off Litopia daily’s week of talking to successful podcasting authors – we hope it inspires you! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3410 78B40FEC-009F-4944-AC97-6A14C946BDC3 Mon, 21 Dec 2009 04:58:23 +0000 For whom the bell tinkles The idea of authors podcasting their own books is one of the most exciting recent developments in writing and publishing, and we’re delighted to bring you today an in-depth interview with the man who started in all – writer and podcaster Tee Morris. Tee began his writing career in 2002 with the award-nominated historical epic fantasy, MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2004, his title Billibub Baddings and The Case of The Singing Sword, a spoof of both the Fantasy and Hard-Boiled Detective novel, received an Honorable Mention for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year award, and was a finalist for the Independent Publisher's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. In 2005, came up with the idea of podcasting a novel in order to promote its sequel. MOREVI went on to become the first book podcast in its entirety and was nominated for a 2006 Parsec for Best Podcast Fiction. Podcasting MOREVI also led to the founding of Podiobooks.com and the premiere of Legacy of MOREVI: Book One of the Arathellean Wars (a finalist for ForeWord Magazine's Best Science Fiction of 2005). He has, since then, podcasted The Case of The Singing Sword which won a Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama, MOREVI: Remastered, and a host of other podcasts at imaginethatstudios.com and teemorris.com. Podcasting introduced Tee to Social Media, and Social Media introduced Tee's writing to an even larger audience. With his success in podcasting, Tee penned both Podcasting for Dummies (with Chuck Tomasi and Evo Terra) and Expert Podcasting Practices for Dummies (with Evo Terra and Ryan Williams). In July of 2009, he released his third Social Media-related title, All a Twitter, from Que Publishing, and then in October Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in Ten Minutes. Adding to both books is the ten minutes companion podcast, Bird House Rules, at http://birdhouserules.com. Tee is the most enthusiastic advocate for author podcasting you’ll meet; this comprehensive interview kicks off Litopia daily’s week of talking to successful podcasting authors – we hope it inspires you! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no No matter how many Christmas parties you may go to over the festive season, one thing is certain – you’ll never encounter anything quite as spectacular as Litopia After Dark’s annual bash. Featuring Donna Ballman, Dave Bartram, Eve Harvey, Emma Shortt and John Quirk, this is the global party to end all parties. We’ve loved having you along this year, and we’re already looking forward to 2010… but for the moment – it’s party time, folks! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3415 65783E68-51F4-4CE6-8A97-A91E151D91F5 Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:53:59 +0000 If I were invited to a dinner party with my characters, I wouldn't show up No matter how many Christmas parties you may go to over the festive season, one thing is certain – you’ll never encounter anything quite as spectacular as Litopia After Dark’s annual bash. Featuring Donna Ballman, Dave Bartram, Eve Harvey, Emma Shortt and John Quirk, this is the global party to end all parties. We’ve loved having you along this year, and we’re already looking forward to 2010… but for the moment – it’s party time, folks! 53:47 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Here’s a quick quiz for you – who said this? "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." If you guessed Humpty Dumpty, give yourself a point – if you said "Random House", get a bonus point! The fact is that Random House has taken a Humpty Dumpty-like approach to defining what a “book” is; in a letter just sent to agents, they are claiming that a “book” means pretty much whatever they want it to mean. So, by claiming that a “book” really means an “e-book”, they are arguing that contracts signed decades before the e-book was invented give them e-book rights, as well. Humpty would be proud of their logic. Also on today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman we’re reporting on moves to finally reform England’s disgraceful libel laws, and the CIA’s venture-capital division (yes, another surreal concept, but it’s true) invests in technology that can track everything you do on Twitter, blogs, online forums, and YouTube – and gets sued by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. That’s the final Write Report of the year – Donna Ballman will be back next year in an exciting new format, and do join us tonight… for carol-singing on Litopia After Dark! Talk about surreal… http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3410 194FD3BC-9080-4B29-95D4-5741F0151113 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:15:18 +0000 The question is, which is to be maser, that's all Here’s a quick quiz for you – who said this? "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less." If you guessed Humpty Dumpty, give yourself a point – if you said "Random House", get a bonus point! The fact is that Random House has taken a Humpty Dumpty-like approach to defining what a “book” is; in a letter just sent to agents, they are claiming that a “book” means pretty much whatever they want it to mean. So, by claiming that a “book” really means an “e-book”, they are arguing that contracts signed decades before the e-book was invented give them e-book rights, as well. Humpty would be proud of their logic. Also on today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman we’re reporting on moves to finally reform England’s disgraceful libel laws, and the CIA’s venture-capital division (yes, another surreal concept, but it’s true) invests in technology that can track everything you do on Twitter, blogs, online forums, and YouTube – and gets sued by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. That’s the final Write Report of the year – Donna Ballman will be back next year in an exciting new format, and do join us tonight… for carol-singing on Litopia After Dark! Talk about surreal… 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Podcasting is proving to be a fun and potentially exciting new medium for authors; capable of reaching new readers and building a fan base in ways that traditional publishing has never considered. In our third session with Cliff Ravenscraft, the Podcast Answer Man, we’re asking the “what’s next?” question – once your podcast is up and running, how can you use it to develop your reader community? Next week, we’ll be talking to several authors who have been successful pioneers in this new medium: what has their experience been, and what lessons have they learnt from it? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3404 A71AF1B1-1487-4335-A8AD-6BD9E45ED916 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 02:30:41 +0000 I am a part of all that I have met Podcasting is proving to be a fun and potentially exciting new medium for authors; capable of reaching new readers and building a fan base in ways that traditional publishing has never considered. In our third session with Cliff Ravenscraft, the Podcast Answer Man, we’re asking the “what’s next?” question – once your podcast is up and running, how can you use it to develop your reader community? Next week, we’ll be talking to several authors who have been successful pioneers in this new medium: what has their experience been, and what lessons have they learnt from it? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Cliff Ravenscraft is the “Podcast Answer Man” - a full-time podcaster, he produces 24 different podcast series, and also acts as a consultant to others taking their first steps in this new medium. Today, we're talking to Cliff about budgets, equipment, and all the practical things you need to think about before you start your own show (yesterday we discussed the benefits of podcasting to authors). Just how much of a “techie” do you have to be? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3399 303E8EFB-3BF9-4F2B-A4BE-49B5B11FB912 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:20:57 +0000 Big bottoms and aural exciters Cliff Ravenscraft is the “Podcast Answer Man” - a full-time podcaster, he produces 24 different podcast series, and also acts as a consultant to others taking their first steps in this new medium. Today, we're talking to Cliff about budgets, equipment, and all the practical things you need to think about before you start your own show (yesterday we discussed the benefits of podcasting to authors). Just how much of a “techie” do you have to be? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no So what’s podcasting all about, then? And most importantly should you as an author be doing it? For the next three days, Litopia Daily is talking to Cliff Ravenscraft – the “Podcast Answer Man”. Cliff is a podcast consultant (he can help to get you online and broadcasting) and he produces no less than 24 different podcast series, including the highly popular Weekly Lost Podcast for fans of the television series. Cliff’s passion for podcasting is infectious, and he walks his talk – he left his “normal” job two years ago to podcast full time! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3392 0D8AF2EF-36D1-4A2D-8429-DAC06844C2F7 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:43:47 +0000 Follow your passion! So what’s podcasting all about, then? And most importantly should you as an author be doing it? For the next three days, Litopia Daily is talking to Cliff Ravenscraft – the “Podcast Answer Man”. Cliff is a podcast consultant (he can help to get you online and broadcasting) and he produces no less than 24 different podcast series, including the highly popular Weekly Lost Podcast for fans of the television series. Cliff’s passion for podcasting is infectious, and he walks his talk – he left his “normal” job two years ago to podcast full time! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Peter was a guest on the Geek News Central 24-hour marathon podcast over the weekend – you can see (and hear) his segment here (starts at 28 minutes) – and support the cause here. Some exciting news today about the shape of things to come – Litopia Daily wants you in the new year! And we end with a seasonal treat - Orson Welles on frozen peas. Bliss! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3387 2F2B4080-685C-425D-AA3D-2412E3E1ABFC Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:41:39 +0000 In your depths of your ignorance, what is it you want? Peter was a guest on the Geek News Central 24-hour marathon podcast over the weekend – you can see (and hear) his segment here (starts at 28 minutes) – and support the cause here. Some exciting news today about the shape of things to come – Litopia Daily wants you in the new year! And we end with a seasonal treat - Orson Welles on frozen peas. Bliss! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The highly popular “Dr. Sue” (Dr. Susan O’Doherty, the writer’s therapist) is our special guest for the year’s penultimate LITOPIA AFTER DARK – next week’s show is our Xmas Party, so expect lots of fun, but not necessarily much common sense – for that, you’ll have to make tonight’s show last until the new year! With veteran panelists Donna Ballman, Dave Bartram and Eve Harvey it’s a cracking end to a great year for us – and, we hope, for you too! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3381 F843FC06-9235-4331-90F5-38E17E7D2B8A Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:03:24 +0000 Live on greens as much as possible The highly popular “Dr. Sue” (Dr. Susan O’Doherty, the writer’s therapist) is our special guest for the year’s penultimate LITOPIA AFTER DARK – next week’s show is our Xmas Party, so expect lots of fun, but not necessarily much common sense – for that, you’ll have to make tonight’s show last until the new year! With veteran panelists Donna Ballman, Dave Bartram and Eve Harvey it’s a cracking end to a great year for us – and, we hope, for you too! 53:47 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no The year’s penultimate WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman is here… with news of the outcome of the “Twilight” plagiarism lawsuit (the judge had some tough words)… Amazon has been accused of underpaying its workers… and by the way, are they going to open high-street stores in the UK?... and hold on to your chapeaux, mes vieux… this may be the first and only time in history that Peter wholeheartedly agrees with French president Sarkozy… about Google! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3373 756AE54A-B8A8-4B42-AE99-8EDEEBC55693 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:07:12 +0000 You are the wave, I the naked island The year’s penultimate WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman is here… with news of the outcome of the “Twilight” plagiarism lawsuit (the judge had some tough words)… Amazon has been accused of underpaying its workers… and by the way, are they going to open high-street stores in the UK?... and hold on to your chapeaux, mes vieux… this may be the first and only time in history that Peter wholeheartedly agrees with French president Sarkozy… about Google! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Today is the last-ever Eve’s Salmagundi Club… there are tears and a few laughs, too… and we’re going out with a Nicola Morgan-inspired bang… Eve’s fans need not fret – she’ll be back in the new year with a brand new format! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3367 32FCC681-CE90-4F50-9EBF-18B9B26CAA7B Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:11:31 +0000 A stick in me hand and a drop in me eye Today is the last-ever Eve’s Salmagundi Club… there are tears and a few laughs, too… and we’re going out with a Nicola Morgan-inspired bang… Eve’s fans need not fret – she’ll be back in the new year with a brand new format! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Day three of our non-stop, all-week orgy of Eve’s Salmagundi Club! Does one of your characters needs psychotherapy - or do you wonder what goes on behind the closed doors of the therapist's office? Or maybe you're just looking for the psychological motivation behind a really great villain, or wish you could ask a real clinician your psychology questions? Well, Eve's got just the website for you! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3350 4B076DB0-B2B6-436F-9841-1777D7F3001C Wed, 9 Dec 2009 11:32:14 +0000 I have you now! Day three of our non-stop, all-week orgy of Eve’s Salmagundi Club! Does one of your characters needs psychotherapy - or do you wonder what goes on behind the closed doors of the therapist's office? Or maybe you're just looking for the psychological motivation behind a really great villain, or wish you could ask a real clinician your psychology questions? Well, Eve's got just the website for you! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Do you know what a “Mary Sue” character is? In today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club, we’re investigating this strange phenomenon that owes its origin to fan fiction, but has now gone thoroughly mainstream with the Twilight sagas. And here’s your Mary Sue Generator, and the world’s longest test for Mary Sue characteristics. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3356 FF286EF6-9BFE-4409-A0A0-D4B715659855 Tue, 8 Dec 2009 15:56:53 +0000 I am my own readership Do you know what a “Mary Sue” character is? In today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club, we’re investigating this strange phenomenon that owes its origin to fan fiction, but has now gone thoroughly mainstream with the Twilight sagas. And here’s your Mary Sue Generator, and the world’s longest test for Mary Sue characteristics. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no From Monday to Thursday this week we’re having an orgy of Eve’s Salmagundi Clubs… that’s right, one every day! Why? Well, the truth is that Litopia Daily is changing… in a good way. Our plans are not yet quite ready to be made public, but rest assured that Eve will still be with us, it’s just the program format that will be changing. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves… today, we’re looking at “7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Chapter” allegedly) and another agent flogs herself off on E-Bay… hard times, or what? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3347 6CB9AC5D-85C0-45A7-B222-948CBD061E0F Sun, 6 Dec 2009 21:07:10 +0000 Reject me one more time From Monday to Thursday this week we’re having an orgy of Eve’s Salmagundi Clubs… that’s right, one every day! Why? Well, the truth is that Litopia Daily is changing… in a good way. Our plans are not yet quite ready to be made public, but rest assured that Eve will still be with us, it’s just the program format that will be changing. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves… today, we’re looking at “7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Chapter” allegedly) and another agent flogs herself off on E-Bay… hard times, or what? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no With panellists from Norway, England, Florida and India, tonight’s show is the most geographically-diverse we’ve ever had – and as we approach our one hundredth episode, we can modestly congratulate ourselves on being the world’s oldest, biggest and some would say best show for readers and writers. But there’s no time for laurel-resting. Martyn Daniels introduces a couple of new concepts to our global audience this evening: the snippet era and the contextual wrap. Our newcomer from Norway is Cath Murphy, who wants to know whether teenagers really are addicted to reading rubbish - and if so, should we care? Donna Ballman’s spotted an extraordinary conflict of interest by no less an august institution than the Washington Post – a bit of a come-down for the folk who brought you Watergate – and Dave Bartram believes that YouTube may be the ultimate de-sensitization tool. So much brain-stimulating goodness this evening, it’s hard to see how we can pack it into one 60-minute show! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3340 C5B951D4-F3FE-4E3A-8788-547912031917 Sat, 5 Dec 2009 04:56:33 +0000 This sex was watching at me, spying on me, like a Gorgon's head With panellists from Norway, England, Florida and India, tonight’s show is the most geographically-diverse we’ve ever had – and as we approach our one hundredth episode, we can modestly congratulate ourselves on being the world’s oldest, biggest and some would say best show for readers and writers. But there’s no time for laurel-resting. Martyn Daniels introduces a couple of new concepts to our global audience this evening: the snippet era and the contextual wrap. Our newcomer from Norway is Cath Murphy, who wants to know whether teenagers really are addicted to reading rubbish - and if so, should we care? Donna Ballman’s spotted an extraordinary conflict of interest by no less an august institution than the Washington Post – a bit of a come-down for the folk who brought you Watergate – and Dave Bartram believes that YouTube may be the ultimate de-sensitization tool. So much brain-stimulating goodness this evening, it’s hard to see how we can pack it into one 60-minute show! 53:47 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no You’ll have to forgive Peter his little gaffes tonight: last night was the evening of the Golden Twits Awards in which Litopia triumphed... he’s been up a long time! Fortunately, tonight’s redoubtable and stout-hearted panel are more than capable of running the show without his intervention. From the Isle of Man there’s writer John Quirk; from England’s West Country there’s Dave Bartram; from an undisclosed location there’s international woman of mystery Emma Shortt; and from the azure Bahamas there’s Litopia's own Donna Ballman. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3334 B022C769-B7E4-498B-B87D-C7ADA3C137C9 Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:49:17 +0000 I love you Twitter, you're my best mate You’ll have to forgive Peter his little gaffes tonight: last night was the evening of the Golden Twits Awards in which Litopia triumphed... he’s been up a long time! Fortunately, tonight’s redoubtable and stout-hearted panel are more than capable of running the show without his intervention. From the Isle of Man there’s writer John Quirk; from England’s West Country there’s Dave Bartram; from an undisclosed location there’s international woman of mystery Emma Shortt; and from the azure Bahamas there’s Litopia's own Donna Ballman. 53:47 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Last night, Litopia won the very first Golden Twit Award for Writing. We are immensely proud of our Chief Twitterer, Jamie Mollart, for masterminding our success. Follow the evening as it develops on today’s extended show. And of course, lots more inside the Colony! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3326 928459C3-53D9-4AB3-A37C-D5B80344CB2B Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:36:23 +0000 Well done everyone! Last night, Litopia won the very first Golden Twit Award for Writing. We are immensely proud of our Chief Twitterer, Jamie Mollart, for masterminding our success. Follow the evening as it develops on today’s extended show. And of course, lots more inside the Colony! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Before we continue with today’s exploration into writing and writers – guided by the terrifying genius that was William S. Burroughs – we should tell you that tomorrow’s show will be a relay of tonight’s big event - the Golden Twits Award, in which Litopia has been shortlisted in three categories… we’re so excited! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3319 50CF83F8-03F8-46F0-9DB0-221A1AFFD675 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:23:36 +0000 The devil deals only in quantitive merchandise Before we continue with today’s exploration into writing and writers – guided by the terrifying genius that was William S. Burroughs – we should tell you that tomorrow’s show will be a relay of tonight’s big event - the Golden Twits Award, in which Litopia has been shortlisted in three categories… we’re so excited! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s our second day of hearing directly from some of the most successful and acclaimed writers of the 20th century: did you guess who today’s subject is? Here’s another clue: In 1939, he deliberately severed the last joint of his left little finger, right at the knuckle, to impress a man with whom he was infatuated. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3314 B8055AAF-6215-4DAE-A02B-25781489E54F Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:32:04 +0000 Writers are professional spies It’s our second day of hearing directly from some of the most successful and acclaimed writers of the 20th century: did you guess who today’s subject is? Here’s another clue: In 1939, he deliberately severed the last joint of his left little finger, right at the knuckle, to impress a man with whom he was infatuated. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no One of the reasons that writers are, as a whole, having a hard time at the moment is that they’re flaky – they make bad economic decisions because they get bored quickly; they trust people they shouldn’t; and they go with their guts rather than with their brains. True? Or a caricature? Today's Eve’s Salmagundi Club looks at the truth – or otherwise – of one blogger’s assertion about writers’ finances. And Peter gives a few options for spreading your risks. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3308 2A9AD42F-7120-44D1-86E1-6D79DD5704BC Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:12:30 +0000 Count your pennies One of the reasons that writers are, as a whole, having a hard time at the moment is that they’re flaky – they make bad economic decisions because they get bored quickly; they trust people they shouldn’t; and they go with their guts rather than with their brains. True? Or a caricature? Today's Eve’s Salmagundi Club looks at the truth – or otherwise – of one blogger’s assertion about writers’ finances. And Peter gives a few options for spreading your risks. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no This week, we’re doing something rather different on Litopia Daily... Peter will be examining some of the most successful authors of the past century, and asking – what can we learn from their successes? Today, it’s two top British women authors – one is the best-selling writer of all time, the author is merely No. 5 on the list (just behind Shakespeare)... any guesses? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3297 A15467C3-BB63-4C94-AABE-BA9911B349A2 Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000 Nothing could stop them This week, we’re doing something rather different on Litopia Daily... Peter will be examining some of the most successful authors of the past century, and asking – what can we learn from their successes? Today, it’s two top British women authors – one is the best-selling writer of all time, the author is merely No. 5 on the list (just behind Shakespeare)... any guesses? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Jesuit-shaman sex on the eastern steppes of Mongolia. It may sound like an aberration from The Commissioning Meeting (see below) but no, it’s a real book, and a promising candidate for this year’s Bad Sex Award. This year’s finalists include Paul Theroux, Nick Cave, Philip Roth and Amos Oz. But what is it about sex that makes it so exquisitely difficult (we didn’t say hard) for writers to write about? Tonight, our bold panel fearlessly takes the bull by the horns. Joining Donna Ballman from Florida is Dave Bartram from England’s West Country, Eve Harvey from Edinburgh and our very special guest, author and publishing trade maven, Graham Marks. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3289 2A40E6ED-5B4E-4328-B014-E2130AACF0A2 Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:39:18 +0000 The god Pan looking on from a distance with his spying, lascivious gaze Jesuit-shaman sex on the eastern steppes of Mongolia. It may sound like an aberration from The Commissioning Meeting (see below) but no, it’s a real book, and a promising candidate for this year’s Bad Sex Award. This year’s finalists include Paul Theroux, Nick Cave, Philip Roth and Amos Oz. But what is it about sex that makes it so exquisitely difficult (we didn’t say hard) for writers to write about? Tonight, our bold panel fearlessly takes the bull by the horns. Joining Donna Ballman from Florida is Dave Bartram from England’s West Country, Eve Harvey from Edinburgh and our very special guest, author and publishing trade maven, Graham Marks. 53:47 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Valerie Plame Wilson - a former CIA agent whose unmasking led to the conviction of former Vice President Dick Cheney's top aide has lost an appeal to declassify parts of her memoir. The only winner in this case appears to be her publisher, Simon & Schuster – who will publish the selfsame Dick Cheney's memoirs in 2011. Google and two author and publisher organizations have submitted a new version of a legal settlement that would allow Google to distribute millions of digital books online. And an author who rented a hip New York nightclub to host her book launch is suing the club for $1 billion – because it allegedly wouldn’t allow most of her guests to come in (because of the color of their skin, she says). All these and more on today’s WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3284 396B1A2B-5AC5-4CEB-9B24-94D473680AF5 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:04:33 +0000 Not coming in here like that Valerie Plame Wilson - a former CIA agent whose unmasking led to the conviction of former Vice President Dick Cheney's top aide has lost an appeal to declassify parts of her memoir. The only winner in this case appears to be her publisher, Simon & Schuster – who will publish the selfsame Dick Cheney's memoirs in 2011. Google and two author and publisher organizations have submitted a new version of a legal settlement that would allow Google to distribute millions of digital books online. And an author who rented a hip New York nightclub to host her book launch is suing the club for $1 billion – because it allegedly wouldn’t allow most of her guests to come in (because of the color of their skin, she says). All these and more on today’s WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no A really good question for Peter today about authors’ names – what happens if you discover that there’s another author out there with exactly the same name? And... Peter wants to ask you a question about book clubs... did you ever belong to one? And whatever happened to them? The answer could be more important than you might think... If you have questions for Peter, simply post them in the Colony. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3272 5682E6BD-9C4A-4AEB-9F0E-171DED7DBDDF Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:03:00 +0000 Sie sind nie allein mit einem Doppelgänger A really good question for Peter today about authors’ names – what happens if you discover that there’s another author out there with exactly the same name? And... Peter wants to ask you a question about book clubs... did you ever belong to one? And whatever happened to them? The answer could be more important than you might think... If you have questions for Peter, simply post them in the Colony. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s an impressively long Question Time for Peter today – nearly half an hour of accumulated questions from authors covering a wide variety of topics. Are two books better than one when it comes to writing a proposal? What’s an agent thinking when they request the full manuscript? Should you try out your big new idea in a short story contest? What are MP3 rights - and how can you protect them? All these and more today! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3265 3781A4F9-10E2-4CBB-B40C-4CD569107990 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:27:46 +0000 The best style is the style you don't notice It’s an impressively long Question Time for Peter today – nearly half an hour of accumulated questions from authors covering a wide variety of topics. Are two books better than one when it comes to writing a proposal? What’s an agent thinking when they request the full manuscript? Should you try out your big new idea in a short story contest? What are MP3 rights - and how can you protect them? All these and more today! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Do editors know that they hold authors' dreams in their hands? An anonymous blogger, who purports to be a children’s book editor, believes that authors should toughen up. “When you receive a rejection letter and feel your dreams being crushed”, she says, “BE AWARE: it's YOU crushing your dreams.” True? Or just heartless ranting? Eve’s Salmagundi Club also examines the quest for perfection – is it really necessary for that covering letter+synopsis+sample to be word-perfect before it goes out? Nicola Morgan’s blog has some good advice to offer. And – oh yes – Stephen Fry is still following Eve – should she be concerned? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3274 A5E83388-2A47-4EC1-AAB9-F61FDFF0E0E9 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:15:09 +0000 This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections Do editors know that they hold authors' dreams in their hands? An anonymous blogger, who purports to be a children’s book editor, believes that authors should toughen up. “When you receive a rejection letter and feel your dreams being crushed”, she says, “BE AWARE: it's YOU crushing your dreams.” True? Or just heartless ranting? Eve’s Salmagundi Club also examines the quest for perfection – is it really necessary for that covering letter+synopsis+sample to be word-perfect before it goes out? Nicola Morgan’s blog has some good advice to offer. And – oh yes – Stephen Fry is still following Eve – should she be concerned? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no To promote her new book – for which she’s been reportedly paid anything up to $11m – the former vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has taken to Twittering. But not in the way that lesser mortals use the social media site: by following others and being followed in equal measure. No - Ms. Palin has 16,000 followers – of which she’s followed back precisely no-one. This is arrogance of the first order, and a gross breach of online netiquette according to Litopia’s own social media whizz, Jamie Mollart. “It’s the most flagrant misuse of a social media site I have ever seen”, he says, “I hope it bites her on the arse.” And it just may do. Other narcissists on tonight’s agenda include Polish author Krystian Bala, convicted of directing the murder of his estranged wife’s lover – and then writing a book about it – and the British author and exhibitionist Julie Myerson, whose “cruel, selfish and manipulative” tome “The Lost Child” has crossed the Atlantic and is now available for American voyeurs to relish. Joining Jamie on tongiht's glittering panel are Donna Ballman (Florida), Dave Bartram (England’s storm-ridden West Country) and a most welcome return to Canadian author Mary W. Walters. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3254 7D3C18B6-311B-4F31-98B6-5C07E39B28A0 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:13:35 +0000 Uncle Wiggily in the Woods To promote her new book – for which she’s been reportedly paid anything up to $11m – the former vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin has taken to Twittering. But not in the way that lesser mortals use the social media site: by following others and being followed in equal measure. No - Ms. Palin has 16,000 followers – of which she’s followed back precisely no-one. This is arrogance of the first order, and a gross breach of online netiquette according to Litopia’s own social media whizz, Jamie Mollart. “It’s the most flagrant misuse of a social media site I have ever seen”, he says, “I hope it bites her on the arse.” And it just may do. Other narcissists on tonight’s agenda include Polish author Krystian Bala, convicted of directing the murder of his estranged wife’s lover – and then writing a book about it – and the British author and exhibitionist Julie Myerson, whose “cruel, selfish and manipulative” tome “The Lost Child” has crossed the Atlantic and is now available for American voyeurs to relish. Joining Jamie on tongiht's glittering panel are Donna Ballman (Florida), Dave Bartram (England’s storm-ridden West Country) and a most welcome return to Canadian author Mary W. Walters. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no A federal judge has taken the rare step of ordering an author to remove from his website thousands of documents that were allegedly stolen from the Council on American-Islamic Relations – what implications does this have for non-fiction writers? Amazon’s Kindle will not allow you to back up your electronic books on to any other device – which means that if your Kindle packs up, or if Amazon moves on to another technical standard, you're screwed. And Malaysian authorities have confiscated more than 15,000 Bibles in recent months because they referred to "God" as "Allah. All this and more in today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3248 5BC5700F-8885-419C-801C-0E347D764634 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:31:21 +0000 Note the number of electronic devices that no longer work A federal judge has taken the rare step of ordering an author to remove from his website thousands of documents that were allegedly stolen from the Council on American-Islamic Relations – what implications does this have for non-fiction writers? Amazon’s Kindle will not allow you to back up your electronic books on to any other device – which means that if your Kindle packs up, or if Amazon moves on to another technical standard, you're screwed. And Malaysian authorities have confiscated more than 15,000 Bibles in recent months because they referred to "God" as "Allah. All this and more in today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Is the standard of editing in publishing getting better? Peter believes that, despite suspicions to the contrary, it may actually be improving. And are there any areas of a manuscript that an editor should never be allowed to infiltrate? Editing can be (and usually is) a positive and necessary process for every writer, but there are still horror stories of inept or spiteful editors: what are the warning signs? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3242 3B898638-57A2-40EB-8432-B77B6FD9941E Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:05:01 +0000 Bleeding into the gutter Is the standard of editing in publishing getting better? Peter believes that, despite suspicions to the contrary, it may actually be improving. And are there any areas of a manuscript that an editor should never be allowed to infiltrate? Editing can be (and usually is) a positive and necessary process for every writer, but there are still horror stories of inept or spiteful editors: what are the warning signs? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The great publishing houses of the past face an enormous challenge today: adapt to the new publishing reality or perish. In today’s Daily, Peter looks at one of the huge issues that may well sink some household names – the question of cultural change within the company itself. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3236 A8754186-5F4F-4E36-8CFB-F7F9F1C3EE9B Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:21:17 +0000 An overabundance of bigness is not necessarily better The great publishing houses of the past face an enormous challenge today: adapt to the new publishing reality or perish. In today’s Daily, Peter looks at one of the huge issues that may well sink some household names – the question of cultural change within the company itself. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Imagine this. You have a letter of acceptance in your hand, and one of rejection... which one are you going to brood over? If you’re like most writers, you’ll take the rejection to heart, while discounting the positive news. There seems to be something about human nature that focuses on the sting of rejection while negating the good stuff. But why? With Dr. Susan O’Doherty on tonight’s illustrious panel, we’re probing the hidden depths of the human psyche to find out the evolutionary basis for our fear of rejection – maybe there’s a good reason for it, after all? Joining Dr. Sue (New York) are of Donna Ballman (Florida), Dave Bartram (England’s West Country) and – yes, she’s back! – our own Eve Harvey (Edinburgh). Truly, a rare and renowned international panel for your delight and edification. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3232 E40CDCB1-0B53-46BB-A029-F6E2567FAB9B Sat, 7 Nov 2009 06:57:09 +0000 Naked massage with baby oil & as many mealworms as you can eat Imagine this. You have a letter of acceptance in your hand, and one of rejection... which one are you going to brood over? If you’re like most writers, you’ll take the rejection to heart, while discounting the positive news. There seems to be something about human nature that focuses on the sting of rejection while negating the good stuff. But why? With Dr. Susan O’Doherty on tonight’s illustrious panel, we’re probing the hidden depths of the human psyche to find out the evolutionary basis for our fear of rejection – maybe there’s a good reason for it, after all? Joining Dr. Sue (New York) are of Donna Ballman (Florida), Dave Bartram (England’s West Country) and – yes, she’s back! – our own Eve Harvey (Edinburgh). Truly, a rare and renowned international panel for your delight and edification. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Chris Christie, the new Republican Governor Elect of New Jersey, has been called out as a copyright thief – by Monty Python. Scholastic tells an author to rewrite books to exclude a gay couple if she wants to be included in their book fairs. And After indie booksellers announce plans to buy their books at Amazon and Wal-Mart (it’s cheaper than buying from the publishers), the big guys limit the amount of books purchasers can buy. Which just goes to show, you should never announce your evil plans! All this and more in today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman. And Donna’s own book The Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom will be out in a few days – if you’re a writer who ever references the law, buy one now! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3226 EEA6F90C-109B-495C-8D25-F499956100C5 Thu, 5 Nov 2009 19:29:49 +0000 I’ll tell you what’s wrong with you - your heads addled with novels and poems Chris Christie, the new Republican Governor Elect of New Jersey, has been called out as a copyright thief – by Monty Python. Scholastic tells an author to rewrite books to exclude a gay couple if she wants to be included in their book fairs. And After indie booksellers announce plans to buy their books at Amazon and Wal-Mart (it’s cheaper than buying from the publishers), the big guys limit the amount of books purchasers can buy. Which just goes to show, you should never announce your evil plans! All this and more in today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman. And Donna’s own book The Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom will be out in a few days – if you’re a writer who ever references the law, buy one now! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Peter gives a brief update on current developments in the Colony; when will all the construction work end? And then, he tackles a subject that’s looming large on the writing horizon – the way in which writers are increasingly being used as slave labor. Maybe writers are their own worst enemy? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3222 F5823A7F-B47F-417D-9093-91356C93E29B Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:22:16 +0000 Your own worst eneemy Peter gives a brief update on current developments in the Colony; when will all the construction work end? And then, he tackles a subject that’s looming large on the writing horizon – the way in which writers are increasingly being used as slave labor. Maybe writers are their own worst enemy? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Eve’s Salmagundi Club comes to us live and direct from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, where it’s an impressive 90 degrees (London is shivering in damp grey mist). But doesn’t the eternal sunshine of paradise get a bit boring eventually? Not if you’ve brought some holiday reading! Eve and Richard gives us a run-down of the books they’ve consumed to date. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3217 663F0B00-D04D-4042-B4C8-B1CA837951A0 Mon, 2 Nov 2009 11:31:15 +0000 A small passerine bird belonging to the genus Serinus Eve’s Salmagundi Club comes to us live and direct from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, where it’s an impressive 90 degrees (London is shivering in damp grey mist). But doesn’t the eternal sunshine of paradise get a bit boring eventually? Not if you’ve brought some holiday reading! Eve and Richard gives us a run-down of the books they’ve consumed to date. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Did Harry Potter’s lawyers (alright, Warner Bros lawyers) act way too heavy-handedly when they recently acted to suppress a Harry Potter-style house party in London? Press reports suggested they acted like party poopers – but on today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman, we look at the evidence and conclude rather differently. Also, there are at last moves in the ponderously slow English legal system to reform our appallingly anachronistic criminal libel laws - about 900 years too late - and UK personality (famous for her boobs) Jordan causes a riot at a book signing. We should be so lucky. And take note: Donna’s own book The Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom will be out in a few days – if you’re a writer who ever references the law, buy one now! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3198 A4D4D282-DE98-41EF-85C5-6CD7AD2707FA Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:27:26 +0000 Go boil yer heads, all of yeh Did Harry Potter’s lawyers (alright, Warner Bros lawyers) act way too heavy-handedly when they recently acted to suppress a Harry Potter-style house party in London? Press reports suggested they acted like party poopers – but on today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman, we look at the evidence and conclude rather differently. Also, there are at last moves in the ponderously slow English legal system to reform our appallingly anachronistic criminal libel laws - about 900 years too late - and UK personality (famous for her boobs) Jordan causes a riot at a book signing. We should be so lucky. And take note: Donna’s own book The Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom will be out in a few days – if you’re a writer who ever references the law, buy one now! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s our Halloween show, and the most horrifying item on tonight’s agenda is unfortunately all too corporeal: one publisher has summarily announced their new e-book royalty rate will be a meagre 20% - not of the retail price, but of the net amount received. Truly gruesome. Apart from that, we’re looking at book titles –how choosing the right one can land you in the bestseller lists. Then there’s the increasingly spooky Large Hadron Collider – are people in the future trying to send us a message? The latest bout of political correctness gone bonkers sees the quintessentially English Fentiman’s Traditional Victorian Lemonade investigated by the US drugs Gestapo. The success of the True Blood tv series is a lesson to us all. Why should books have a sell-by date (hint: they shouldn’t, but publishers behave as if they do). And Noddy – what the heck’s going on with him, then? Our beautiful and talented panel tonight consists of business guru and Litopia Star Columnist Martyn Daniels, Emma Shortt from the Colony dazzles us all with her debut appearance, advertising legend Jamie Mollert dispenses some shrewd authorial promotional advice, and Dave Bartram’s second Commissioning Meeting victory in two weeks suggests that he’s really a secret publisher in disguise. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3203 A0064F4C-EABF-41D8-80A5-94A3B21194D5 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:46:30 +0000 Noddy meets the Higgs Boson particle It’s our Halloween show, and the most horrifying item on tonight’s agenda is unfortunately all too corporeal: one publisher has summarily announced their new e-book royalty rate will be a meagre 20% - not of the retail price, but of the net amount received. Truly gruesome. Apart from that, we’re looking at book titles –how choosing the right one can land you in the bestseller lists. Then there’s the increasingly spooky Large Hadron Collider – are people in the future trying to send us a message? The latest bout of political correctness gone bonkers sees the quintessentially English Fentiman’s Traditional Victorian Lemonade investigated by the US drugs Gestapo. The success of the True Blood tv series is a lesson to us all. Why should books have a sell-by date (hint: they shouldn’t, but publishers behave as if they do). And Noddy – what the heck’s going on with him, then? Our beautiful and talented panel tonight consists of business guru and Litopia Star Columnist Martyn Daniels, Emma Shortt from the Colony dazzles us all with her debut appearance, advertising legend Jamie Mollert dispenses some shrewd authorial promotional advice, and Dave Bartram’s second Commissioning Meeting victory in two weeks suggests that he’s really a secret publisher in disguise. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Monday’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club features an insightful straw poll that sheds some light on the myth (or is it?) that it’s incredibly hard to get a book published without having prior connections within the industry. Does cold querying work in this day and age? Find out! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3198 FBE6D783-63A3-48F7-A1AB-3C983D41C4CB Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:18:27 +0000 I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home Monday’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club features an insightful straw poll that sheds some light on the myth (or is it?) that it’s incredibly hard to get a book published without having prior connections within the industry. Does cold querying work in this day and age? Find out! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no When love is not madness, it is not love” wrote the C17th Spanish dramatist Pedro Calderón de la Barca – although he might easily been referring to tonight’s Litopia After Dark, in which we learn of the amour fou of one Professor Arthur David Horn, late of Yale and Colorado State and an esteemed expert in the somewhat arid subject of biological anthropology. Chancing one day to fall in love with a metaphysical healer, Professor Horn’s eyes were suddenly opened to the reality that surrounded him: a world in which shape-shifting reptilians control our civilization through the secretive leaders known as the Illuminati. Truly, love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise. And yet more folly on tonight’s show. The latest health and safety threat to British local councils employees is unsafe biscuit consumption: fortunately some councils now offer supervised tea breaks “for safety reasons”. The BBC’s children’s’ channel, CBeebies, has decided to change the endings of some popular nursery rhymes, making the more politically correct and less disturbing for the little darlings. And Madonna, well, she’s always good for an eccentricity or three. Our wise and circumspect panel tonight displays no such flummery, comprised as it is of Donna Ballman, Graham Marks, Dave Bartram and David Bridger. Topics covered and links include: * The ‘Miss Plastic’ beauty pageant in Hungary * A book price war has started between the discount giants: authors will suffer * Litopians prepare for this year's NaNoWriMo, but one person won’t be doing it again * Why everything’s including Heidi Montag/Pratt is going supersize http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3191 0E53B011-8E6A-41C7-9A7A-BD26B31EA4C5 Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:22:19 +0000 Not Like Other Girls When love is not madness, it is not love” wrote the C17th Spanish dramatist Pedro Calderón de la Barca – although he might easily been referring to tonight’s Litopia After Dark, in which we learn of the amour fou of one Professor Arthur David Horn, late of Yale and Colorado State and an esteemed expert in the somewhat arid subject of biological anthropology. Chancing one day to fall in love with a metaphysical healer, Professor Horn’s eyes were suddenly opened to the reality that surrounded him: a world in which shape-shifting reptilians control our civilization through the secretive leaders known as the Illuminati. Truly, love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise. And yet more folly on tonight’s show. The latest health and safety threat to British local councils employees is unsafe biscuit consumption: fortunately some councils now offer supervised tea breaks “for safety reasons”. The BBC’s children’s’ channel, CBeebies, has decided to change the endings of some popular nursery rhymes, making the more politically correct and less disturbing for the little darlings. And Madonna, well, she’s always good for an eccentricity or three. Our wise and circumspect panel tonight displays no such flummery, comprised as it is of Donna Ballman, Graham Marks, Dave Bartram and David Bridger. Topics covered and links include: * The ‘Miss Plastic’ beauty pageant in Hungary * A book price war has started between the discount giants: authors will suffer * Litopians prepare for this year's NaNoWriMo, but one person won’t be doing it again * Why everything’s including Heidi Montag/Pratt is going supersize 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Friday’s WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman continues to monitor the fallout from the infamous Trafigura case: the Swiss multinational sought and obtained an injunction in Britain’s notoriously libel-friendly courts that effectively prevented the media from reporting the proceedings of the Houses of Parliament! Maybe its time to bring a little democracy back to the country that claims to have invented it...? In California, a Los Angeles judge has refused an injunction against Chris Rock's latest film, Good Hair. Documentary filmmaker Regina Kimbell sued Rock and the producers, claiming the comedian stole the idea for the film from her own work, My Nappy Roots. And the latest target in the FTC’s crosshairs is... bloggers! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3185 820AD937-CC3A-4C3A-8386-7F1D76B5C947 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:05:45 +0100 Carter-Ruck did not speak to his daughter for many years Friday’s WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman continues to monitor the fallout from the infamous Trafigura case: the Swiss multinational sought and obtained an injunction in Britain’s notoriously libel-friendly courts that effectively prevented the media from reporting the proceedings of the Houses of Parliament! Maybe its time to bring a little democracy back to the country that claims to have invented it...? In California, a Los Angeles judge has refused an injunction against Chris Rock's latest film, Good Hair. Documentary filmmaker Regina Kimbell sued Rock and the producers, claiming the comedian stole the idea for the film from her own work, My Nappy Roots. And the latest target in the FTC’s crosshairs is... bloggers! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The noise inside the publishing industry about the e-book is almost deafening. It’s close to accepted wisdom amongst many publishers that the e-book is set to replace the “traditional” book as the dominant means of publishing – sooner rather than later. Yet, with so many unresolved issues concerning this new medium, is this a sensible assumption? Even more importantly, what do “ordinary” book buyers really think? Today, Peter does something that perhaps more people in publishing business ought to do – he goes onto the streets and simply asks people what they think. This show is essential listening for anyone involved in the publishing business – please spread the word. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3180 38AE32C4-0E87-4898-9144-BC4C5F6676C2 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:54:12 +0100 The Emperor's New E-Book The noise inside the publishing industry about the e-book is almost deafening. It’s close to accepted wisdom amongst many publishers that the e-book is set to replace the “traditional” book as the dominant means of publishing – sooner rather than later. Yet, with so many unresolved issues concerning this new medium, is this a sensible assumption? Even more importantly, what do “ordinary” book buyers really think? Today, Peter does something that perhaps more people in publishing business ought to do – he goes onto the streets and simply asks people what they think. This show is essential listening for anyone involved in the publishing business – please spread the word. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Peter’s is here today to report on the latest developments inside the Colony: it’s all change as the new Litopia website has been unveiled, and inevitably, there are some teething problems. Listen to get up-to-date with the latest news about our biggest leap forward yet... http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3176 F12ED3C5-536F-4FFC-A3F9-A6721F404FCC Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:38:39 +0100 No pain, no gain Peter’s is here today to report on the latest developments inside the Colony: it’s all change as the new Litopia website has been unveiled, and inevitably, there are some teething problems. Listen to get up-to-date with the latest news about our biggest leap forward yet... 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no What sort of impression should you give to your agent or publisher – and does it matter? Eve’s eye has been caught by the sorry story of a writer who spent three years writing her book, another year trying to find an agent, and finally – just when all seemed perfect… disaster struck! But whose fault was it? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3170 FF70C4B5-F05D-47EE-8B19-699B397D1BD1 Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:56:16 +0100 Charge it to the dust and let the rain settle it What sort of impression should you give to your agent or publisher – and does it matter? Eve’s eye has been caught by the sorry story of a writer who spent three years writing her book, another year trying to find an agent, and finally – just when all seemed perfect… disaster struck! But whose fault was it? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no You would be excused for being heartily sick and tired of hearing about the Google Book Settlement, but... pay attention for another few minutes this morning, if you don’t mind – this is important, and it will probably affect you. Also in today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman, we’re talking about the libel suit that was filed a few months ago in London against Random House, publisher of “The Billionaire’s Vinegar’’… and a new survey (don’t you just hate that phrase?) claims that piracy may actually be good for e-book sales… Gadzooks! What was that? Ah, a flying pig! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3165 E974859A-75D9-485D-9D14-EFE8A73DC5BB Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:17:50 +0100 A spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar You would be excused for being heartily sick and tired of hearing about the Google Book Settlement, but... pay attention for another few minutes this morning, if you don’t mind – this is important, and it will probably affect you. Also in today’s Write Report with Donna Ballman, we’re talking about the libel suit that was filed a few months ago in London against Random House, publisher of “The Billionaire’s Vinegar’’… and a new survey (don’t you just hate that phrase?) claims that piracy may actually be good for e-book sales… Gadzooks! What was that? Ah, a flying pig! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no If it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words (and the case has not been conclusively proven either for or against) then what are we to make of the current Flash Fiction contest in the Colony that invites writers to concoct a story evoked purely by one black and white photo? In today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club, we look at other sites that seek to similar inspire authors with visual hints – and also, we’re having quite a bit of fun with a sweet little site that the OUP have just unleashed. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3160 2979FB86-8489-4C98-AA49-DC2B952DEF4C Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:50:28 +0100 Then why can't I paint you? If it’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words (and the case has not been conclusively proven either for or against) then what are we to make of the current Flash Fiction contest in the Colony that invites writers to concoct a story evoked purely by one black and white photo? In today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club, we look at other sites that seek to similar inspire authors with visual hints – and also, we’re having quite a bit of fun with a sweet little site that the OUP have just unleashed. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Things have come to a pretty pass when publishers prefer to issue the minor works of dead authors rather the contemporary work of living writers. But that’s what’s happening in today’s muddled publishing scene: the barrel is being scraped so hard there’s hardly any of it left. David Foster Wallace, Nabokov, William Styron, Graham Greene, Carl Jung and Kurt Vonnegut are all due for creative evisceration over the coming months as estate and editors consider what they can patch together from their respective literary cast-offs: even Mark Twain, Ralph Ellison and Donald E. Westlake are being thus disembowelled. And as for Michael Crichton – someone had the bright idea of raiding that particular dead author’s laptop for any remaining dregs – the results will be synthesised into an adventure novel about pirates in 17th-century Jamaica and a techno-thriller that HarperCollins will publish in 2010. Is this right? Particularly when the author concerned has expressly indicated that they do not want such works to be posthumously published? That’s just one of the gnarly issues our forthright panel grapples with tonight – consisting of Donna Ballman, Eve Harvey, Dave Bartram and special guest from New York writers' therapist Dr. Susan O'Doherty. Topics covered and links include: * How a Swedish man discovered a 15cm penis tattoo on his leg * We draft a suitable speech for poor Guy Richie to win Madonna back * “Fromage a trois” - why intertextuality is a dreadful and fearful thing * Are you in the viral loop? Good, neither are we * The Kindle is now available to buy in the UK – whatever http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3150 3B4C08C0-4CC0-4EE5-B250-A3C69AF974F8 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:55:00 +0100 Two New Pocket Gophers from Wyoming and Colorado Things have come to a pretty pass when publishers prefer to issue the minor works of dead authors rather the contemporary work of living writers. But that’s what’s happening in today’s muddled publishing scene: the barrel is being scraped so hard there’s hardly any of it left. David Foster Wallace, Nabokov, William Styron, Graham Greene, Carl Jung and Kurt Vonnegut are all due for creative evisceration over the coming months as estate and editors consider what they can patch together from their respective literary cast-offs: even Mark Twain, Ralph Ellison and Donald E. Westlake are being thus disembowelled. And as for Michael Crichton – someone had the bright idea of raiding that particular dead author’s laptop for any remaining dregs – the results will be synthesised into an adventure novel about pirates in 17th-century Jamaica and a techno-thriller that HarperCollins will publish in 2010. Is this right? Particularly when the author concerned has expressly indicated that they do not want such works to be posthumously published? That’s just one of the gnarly issues our forthright panel grapples with tonight – consisting of Donna Ballman, Eve Harvey, Dave Bartram and special guest from New York writers' therapist Dr. Susan O'Doherty. Topics covered and links include: * How a Swedish man discovered a 15cm penis tattoo on his leg * We draft a suitable speech for poor Guy Richie to win Madonna back * “Fromage a trois” - why intertextuality is a dreadful and fearful thing * Are you in the viral loop? Good, neither are we * The Kindle is now available to buy in the UK – whatever 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Life get’s stranger, doesn’t it? And it seems that few areas are more bizarre than the publishing world. In this week’s WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman. The FTC plans to require online book reviewers (bloggers... that means you!) to disclose whether they have received free books from publishers and will be treated as “endorsers”. The BookLocker.com lawsuit against Amazon's restrictive print-on-demand policy gains some traction under US anti-trust laws. The estate of James Joyce estate has been ordered to pays an author $240,000 to settle a lawsuit establishing fair use rights (it's called "copyright misuse" and it may have positive implications for other authors). And after 18 years of dueling lawsuits, courtroom clashes and allegations of impropriety, Walt Disney Co. finally can close the storybook on its battle with the family that holds lucrative rights to Winnie the Pooh. or should that bee Winnie the Pee? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3144 C0D22BCF-0069-4C1D-9573-D530E14A7DB4 Thu, 8 Oct 2009 20:22:39 +0100 Disney's most profitable character - and it's not the mouse Life get’s stranger, doesn’t it? And it seems that few areas are more bizarre than the publishing world. In this week’s WRITE REPORT with Donna Ballman. The FTC plans to require online book reviewers (bloggers... that means you!) to disclose whether they have received free books from publishers and will be treated as “endorsers”. The BookLocker.com lawsuit against Amazon's restrictive print-on-demand policy gains some traction under US anti-trust laws. The estate of James Joyce estate has been ordered to pays an author $240,000 to settle a lawsuit establishing fair use rights (it's called "copyright misuse" and it may have positive implications for other authors). And after 18 years of dueling lawsuits, courtroom clashes and allegations of impropriety, Walt Disney Co. finally can close the storybook on its battle with the family that holds lucrative rights to Winnie the Pooh. or should that bee Winnie the Pee? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no David Letterman did it. So did Elliot Spitzer, Bill O’Reilly and scores of others (yes, it happens in the UK to, but their antiquated libel laws are often used to conceal the sordid facts). So – does it happen in publishing? And – if you’re an author, should you ever consider sleeping with your editor to advance your manuscript? Today’s show offers advice and insights! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3131 D15841AC-1ABB-47B2-93FD-94D590D3272C Wed, 7 Oct 2009 11:40:50 +0100 I got into the car this morning and the navigation lady wasn't speaking to me David Letterman did it. So did Elliot Spitzer, Bill O’Reilly and scores of others (yes, it happens in the UK to, but their antiquated libel laws are often used to conceal the sordid facts). So – does it happen in publishing? And – if you’re an author, should you ever consider sleeping with your editor to advance your manuscript? Today’s show offers advice and insights! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no On today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club we’re looking at opening lines. How important are they really – can they make the difference between a hit and a miss? Is “Call me Ishmael” really the best opening line of any novel (the editors of American Book Review think so). Peter and Eve discuss what works and what doesn’t, and reveal their own favorites – what’s yours? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3123 4D6E976E-EA39-479E-8C31-103436FDFE33 Sun, 4 Oct 2009 20:21:36 +0100 My love for you burns like a dying phoenix On today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club we’re looking at opening lines. How important are they really – can they make the difference between a hit and a miss? Is “Call me Ishmael” really the best opening line of any novel (the editors of American Book Review think so). Peter and Eve discuss what works and what doesn’t, and reveal their own favorites – what’s yours? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The first live LITOPIA AFTER DARK of the season returns with the massively diverse smorgasbord of ingredients that you’ve come to expect and, we hope, love! Our vintage panel comprises Donna Ballman, Eve Harvey, Dave Bartram and special panellist and business guru Martyn Daniels. Topics covered and links include: * What can today’s publishing business learn from the long-standing success of Dr. Johnson’s Dictionary? * Scotland is full of dangerous natives who speak an incomprehensible language – say 13th century Viking travel guides * Marathon into Snickers, the Dust Brothers into the Chemical Brothers… but how will they re-brand the book? * E-bay halts a highly profitable granny auction * How can writers escape from the tyranny of process? * And why are writers crappy conversationalists? * UK public libraries are under threat from politicians’ visions * Super Thursday sees 800 books published on a single day http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3115 78EB228C-17B2-4A89-9B97-FBFB1B0E87F8 Sat, 3 Oct 2009 20:54:52 +0100 Peter chanced upon a dandiprat fribbling a giglet The first live LITOPIA AFTER DARK of the season returns with the massively diverse smorgasbord of ingredients that you’ve come to expect and, we hope, love! Our vintage panel comprises Donna Ballman, Eve Harvey, Dave Bartram and special panellist and business guru Martyn Daniels. Topics covered and links include: * What can today’s publishing business learn from the long-standing success of Dr. Johnson’s Dictionary? * Scotland is full of dangerous natives who speak an incomprehensible language – say 13th century Viking travel guides * Marathon into Snickers, the Dust Brothers into the Chemical Brothers… but how will they re-brand the book? * E-bay halts a highly profitable granny auction * How can writers escape from the tyranny of process? * And why are writers crappy conversationalists? * UK public libraries are under threat from politicians’ visions * Super Thursday sees 800 books published on a single day 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no London’s Poetry Café was never more vibrantly electric this summer than when it hosted our first two live Litopia After Darks: Face-To-Face. And tonight, we’re delighted to bring you – complete, unedited but by no means virgo intacta – the second and most ebullient show. The format is a little different to the usual LAD mixture – and none the worse for that, you may think. Panellists tonight were Eve Harvey, Richard Howse, Donna Ballman and Amanda Lees. Peter attempted to keep some semblance of order (and failed miserably), and we were delighted to be joined on air by Andrew Gillman, the genius who normally exercises his Svengali-like influence behind the scenes, polishing, prodding and generally raising the production values to the high level we currently enjoy. Many, many thanks to all the above for making this such a great evening – and a huge “thank-you” to our loyal audience, both those who came along in person, and everyone who listens online – we couldn’t do it without you! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3050 D6190493-C54E-4C2F-A0E9-CA15AD42DEBF Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:40:56 +0100 So that's what you look like! London’s Poetry Café was never more vibrantly electric this summer than when it hosted our first two live Litopia After Darks: Face-To-Face. And tonight, we’re delighted to bring you – complete, unedited but by no means virgo intacta – the second and most ebullient show. The format is a little different to the usual LAD mixture – and none the worse for that, you may think. Panellists tonight were Eve Harvey, Richard Howse, Donna Ballman and Amanda Lees. Peter attempted to keep some semblance of order (and failed miserably), and we were delighted to be joined on air by Andrew Gillman, the genius who normally exercises his Svengali-like influence behind the scenes, polishing, prodding and generally raising the production values to the high level we currently enjoy. Many, many thanks to all the above for making this such a great evening – and a huge “thank-you” to our loyal audience, both those who came along in person, and everyone who listens online – we couldn’t do it without you! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Time for our weekly review of the important news from the wild and wacky world of publishing... courtesy of Donna Ballman’s WRITE REPORT. Today, we’re considering how the Society of Authors intends to take “for urgent collective action” against the cuts in author advances, which reports suggest are being slashed by as much as 70%. We’re exploring the mysteriously fascinating world of art forgery with news this week that Mexican prosecutors are investigating allegations of wholesale forgery of the worlds of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo – thousands of works are said to be involved. And will the Patriot Act be amended to make it less intrusive of citizens book reading habits? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3105 D23BA517-8CB6-49C5-B8D5-737325324873 Fri, 2 Oct 2009 10:49:32 +0100 Hurding cats would be easier Time for our weekly review of the important news from the wild and wacky world of publishing... courtesy of Donna Ballman’s WRITE REPORT. Today, we’re considering how the Society of Authors intends to take “for urgent collective action” against the cuts in author advances, which reports suggest are being slashed by as much as 70%. We’re exploring the mysteriously fascinating world of art forgery with news this week that Mexican prosecutors are investigating allegations of wholesale forgery of the worlds of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo – thousands of works are said to be involved. And will the Patriot Act be amended to make it less intrusive of citizens book reading habits? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The new Litopia website will soon be unveiled, and it’s the biggest leap forwards we’ve ever had in our seven-year history of being the best writing community on the net. In today’s daily, peter explains some of the things that have been happening behind the scenes, and what you can expect to see from October 16th. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3105 9023DF7F-673B-40A0-B693-C07C354CE600 Thu, 1 Oct 2009 10:43:00 +0100 October 16th is the day The new Litopia website will soon be unveiled, and it’s the biggest leap forwards we’ve ever had in our seven-year history of being the best writing community on the net. In today’s daily, peter explains some of the things that have been happening behind the scenes, and what you can expect to see from October 16th. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Peter’s holiday reading included a long-overdue reading of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. While doing so, a dangerous thought occurred... would such an epic story of good versus evil be published today? Listen to the show to find out! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3100 1A039F62-F606-465B-892A-70DA753C716B Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:35:06 +0100 Nice try, Professor Tolkien Peter’s holiday reading included a long-overdue reading of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. While doing so, a dangerous thought occurred... would such an epic story of good versus evil be published today? Listen to the show to find out! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no We’re back! Peter’s returned from his seaside vacation, and Eve (whose Salmagundi Club kicks off the week) is engrossed by a discussion in the Colony that runs as follows: “Again and again I'm hearing that publishers and agents are very, very nervous of taking on anyone, particularly new writers, in these precarious financial times. So are we wasting our submissions by sending them in at the moment? Might it be better to hunker down and write another book (or two) and save them to submit when times are better (if ever)?” A big question, and lots of good advice in today’s show. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3094 90968991-2A0B-47F8-B64B-51A0BD97696A Sun, 27 Sep 2009 21:15:50 +0100 When is the best time to submit your manuscript? We’re back! Peter’s returned from his seaside vacation, and Eve (whose Salmagundi Club kicks off the week) is engrossed by a discussion in the Colony that runs as follows: “Again and again I'm hearing that publishers and agents are very, very nervous of taking on anyone, particularly new writers, in these precarious financial times. So are we wasting our submissions by sending them in at the moment? Might it be better to hunker down and write another book (or two) and save them to submit when times are better (if ever)?” A big question, and lots of good advice in today’s show. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Today there's another chance to hear the entire interview with author James Attlee about his stunning new book "Isolarion". An initially modest idea - not much more than a walk down a road in the author 's home town of Oxford - it has been widely praised as a bravura display of writing talent. This revealing discussion explains how such an unusual book is conceived, written and sold. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3069 18697F70-088A-451A-BB5C-4ECA3E08E19E Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:16:38 +0100 The entire interview Today there's another chance to hear the entire interview with author James Attlee about his stunning new book Isolarion. An initially modest idea - not much more than a walk down a road in the author 's home town of Oxford - it has been widely praised as a bravura display of writing talent. This revealing discussion explains how such an unusual book is conceived, written and sold. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Both Mark Twain and Helen Keller suffered from cryptomnesia. At various times of the lives, they presented work they clearly believed was original, and were subsequently mortified to then be accused of appropriating others' work. It seems unlikely that either of them, or George Harrison, or any number of other celebrated creative figures with much to lose would have purposely copied easily-traced material and tried to pass it off as their own. Yet that is what they did... cryptomnesia! That's just one of our fascinating topics tonight... others include why publishers aren’t better at predicting which books will sell… With more and more book sales happening online how have our buying triggers changed? And does this mean that as buyers we will no longer judge a book by its cover at all? Also… maybe the best way to write is not to write… a touch of zen can sometimes work wonders! Clinical psychologist Dr. Susan O’Doherty is back on the panel tonight, together with advertising guru Jamie Mollert, and leading lawyer & author of the forthcoming Writer's Guide to the Courtroom, Donna Ballman... and from England’s West Country, the master of the fromage á trois - it's Dave Bartram. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3062 E7F3DECD-F489-4ABF-84C1-FE35ACA64954 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 22:17:34 +0100 We may plagiarize without knowing it... Both Mark Twain and Helen Keller suffered from cryptomnesia. At various times of the lives, they presented work they clearly believed was original, and were subsequently mortified to then be accused of appropriating others' work. It seems unlikely that either of them, or George Harrison, or any number of other celebrated creative figures with much to lose would have purposely copied easily-traced material and tried to pass it off as their own. Yet that is what they did... cryptomnesia! That's just one of our fascinating topics tonight... others include why publishers aren’t better at predicting which books will sell… With more and more book sales happening online how have our buying triggers changed? And does this mean that as buyers we will no longer judge a book by its cover at all? Also… maybe the best way to write is not to write… a touch of zen can sometimes work wonders! Clinical psychologist Dr. Susan O’Doherty is back on the panel tonight, together with advertising guru Jamie Mollert, and leading lawyer & author of the forthcoming Writer's Guide to the Courtroom, Donna Ballman... and from England’s West Country, the master of the fromage á trois - it's Dave Bartram. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Please listen to this show if you’re one of our valued iTunes listeners - it contains important information affecting our shows over the next two weeks. http://podcast.litopia.com/ 6EAD33AE-52DC-49D4-8BB9-2861C78ACA6E Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:53:18 +0100 Important news - please listen! Please listen to this show if you’re one of our valued iTunes listeners - it contains important information affecting our shows over the next two weeks. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It's a busy Write Report today with Donna - What happens to your library if your Kindle is lost? (The answer is that thieves apparently get to keep it!)... A Portuguese judge bans a new book that says Madeleine McCann is dead - how can they do that? And - restrain yourselves, folks - it's back to Amazon again, who are now facing the legal fallout ensuing from that "1984" debacle... Donna herself will be reappearing in just a few hours on Litopia After Dark, and Peter's off for a two-week break! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3057 C49A8F23-0A77-4EDE-AEF8-54B53BE25829 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:36:18 +0100 "It's an unfair and dangerous decision" It's a busy Write Report today with Donna - What happens to your library if your Kindle is lost? (The answer is that thieves apparently get to keep it!)... A Portuguese judge bans a new book that says Madeleine McCann is dead - how can they do that? And - restrain yourselves, folks - it's back to Amazon again, who are now facing the legal fallout ensuing from that "1984" debacle... Donna herself will be reappearing in just a few hours on Litopia After Dark, and Peter's off for a two-week break! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s our last discussion for a while with John Simopoulos and again, we’re focusing on our series entitled Books That Matter. Galsworthy and Proust? Not worthy to hold a candle to today's featured author, Mahfouz - says John. Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian novelist who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature, and is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature. The trilogy of books - Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street - are collectively titled the Cairo Trilogy, an immense monumental work of 1,500 pages or so - "and every character in them is repulsive," says John, "but do read it - if you've got the stomach for it!". http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3032 3BA3D0BD-DD4E-4F6D-8C4B-BBB973880FF7 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0100 Every character is repulsive It’s our last discussion for a while with John Simopoulos and again, we’re focusing on our series entitled Books That Matter. Galsworthy and Proust? Not worthy to hold a candle to today's featured author, Mahfouz - says John. Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian novelist who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature, and is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature. The trilogy of books - Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street - are collectively titled the Cairo Trilogy, an immense monumental work of 1,500 pages or so - "and every character in them is repulsive," says John, "but do read it - if you've got the stomach for it!". 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no John Simopoulos is back today with another in our series of Books That Matter to tell us about an author who John knew personally: Joyce Cary. "By the end of his life", wrote Brad Leithauser in the New York Review of Books, "Cary's confident and fluent books received a critical and popular success, yet the path to this success was wearisomely tortuous. Cary was approaching forty-five when his first novel, Aissa Saved, appeared in 1932. More than two decades of literary floundering, of false starts and punctured enthusiasms, were required before Cary saw one of his many attempted novels published—to poor reviews and poorer sales." A tragic story in some ways, but one which John gives great human dimension. "A gentleman rider through life", says John. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3026 CEC1888F-D07C-46F2-9976-43F17B5E5EC6 Tue, 8 Sep 2009 17:22:32 +0100 A gentleman rider through life John Simopoulos is back today with another in our series of Books That Matter to tell us about an author who John knew personally: Joyce Cary. "By the end of his life", wrote Brad Leithauser in the New York Review of Books, "Cary's confident and fluent books received a critical and popular success, yet the path to this success was wearisomely tortuous. Cary was approaching forty-five when his first novel, Aissa Saved, appeared in 1932. More than two decades of literary floundering, of false starts and punctured enthusiasms, were required before Cary saw one of his many attempted novels published—to poor reviews and poorer sales." A tragic story in some ways, but one which John gives great human dimension. "A gentleman rider through life", says John. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The bestselling children's author MG Harris is our guest today in our Books That Matter series; her choice is a book by one of Italy's finest postwar writers, Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter's Night a Traveller. “I can think of no finer writer to have beside me while Italy explodes, Britain burns, while the world ends”, said Salman Rushdie. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3020 413DDFF7-0B47-4D0F-8575-716779B7AF6D Tue, 8 Sep 2009 10:34:08 +0100 A wonderfully ingenious parody of all those dreary best-sellers The bestselling children's author MG Harris is our guest today in our Books That Matter series; her choice is a book by one of Italy's finest postwar writers, Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter's Night a Traveller. “I can think of no finer writer to have beside me while Italy explodes, Britain burns, while the world ends”, said Salman Rushdie. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Happy Labor Day to all our American listeners! Today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club kicks back a little and looks at the the way the publishing industry used to be - when London and New York were the centers of the publishing world... and when publishing itself was at the center of the cultural lives of our nations. Sic transit gloria mundi... http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3014 9A91E25B-36A4-4F4B-821E-805434F59238 Mon, 7 Sep 2009 10:42:24 +0100 Memories... Happy Labor Day to all our American listeners! Today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club kicks back a little and looks at the the way the publishing industry used to be - when London and New York were the centers of the publishing world... and when publishing itself was at the center of the cultural lives of our nations. Sic transit gloria mundi... 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s another inimitable blend of the profound and the profoundly peculiar this evening: only on Litopia After Dark can we move transcendentally from the works of John Berger to the World Gravy-Wrestling Championships without missing a beat. Our very own publishing business guru Martyn Daniels is back with us tonight – Martyn is one of the few people to grasp what’s really going on in the publishing business at the moment - and what's more, he can explain it clearly, too! And that’s one of the key subjects tonight: are publishing conglomerates a thing of the past? Or is more consolidation necessary for publishing to compete against the likes of Google, Amazon, Sony, Apple? As Richard Howse puts it (as only Richard can) "Baboo's Jumbalia takes on the Amazoogle eMasterbator!". Don't worry - you'll understand perfectly when you listen. Also on the panel tonight - from Florida, leading lawyer and author of the forthcoming Writer's Guide to the Courtroom Donna Ballman... and from England’s West Country, the master of the fromage á trois - (remember last week?) it's Dave Bartram. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=3003 DE2F31D2-0CAA-49D9-9427-B913CCCB9792 Sat, 5 Sep 2009 06:24:40 +0100 Bird Day - How To Prepare For It It’s another inimitable blend of the profound and the profoundly peculiar this evening: only on Litopia After Dark can we move transcendentally from the works of John Berger to the World Gravy-Wrestling Championships without missing a beat. Our very own publishing business guru Martyn Daniels is back with us tonight – Martyn is one of the few people to grasp what’s really going on in the publishing business at the moment - and what's more, he can explain it clearly, too! And that’s one of the key subjects tonight: are publishing conglomerates a thing of the past? Or is more consolidation necessary for publishing to compete against the likes of Google, Amazon, Sony, Apple? As Richard Howse puts it (as only Richard can) "Baboo's Jumbalia takes on the Amazoogle eMasterbator!". Don't worry - you'll understand perfectly when you listen. Also on the panel tonight - from Florida, leading lawyer and author of the forthcoming Writer's Guide to the Courtroom Donna Ballman... and from England’s West Country, the master of the fromage á trois - (remember last week?) it's Dave Bartram. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no A Congolese accountant is to launch a lawsuit in France against Tintin for racism... the New York Times plays fast and loose with embargoes... the Google deadline is upon us... and how can authors earn more money from publishers? It's an action-packed Write Report today with Donna - who will also be reappearing in just a few hours on Litopia After Dark... http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2999 D7F3C23A-12DD-46C2-BADA-A5A9E2EC2B1D Thu, 3 Sep 2009 19:20:02 +0100 Google deadline is today! A Congolese accountant is to launch a lawsuit in France against Tintin for racism... the New York Times plays fast and loose with embargoes... the Google deadline is upon us... and how can authors earn more money from publishers? It's an action-packed Write Report today with Donna - who will also be reappearing in just a few hours on Litopia After Dark... 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no John Simopoulos is back today with another in our occasional series of Books That Matter to propose that you spend a little time with "No Name" by English novelist, playwright, and author - Wilkie Collins. Written in the early 1860s, between "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone", "No Name" was rejected as immoral by critics of its time; but is today regarded as a novel of outstanding social insight, showing Wilkie Collins at the height of his powers. "One of the best books written in the 19th century", says John. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2988 F59AD2D8-85B1-4595-BF35-C0C16CE748E2 Wed, 2 Sep 2009 20:29:51 +0100 One of the best books written in the 19th century John Simopoulos is back today with another in our occasional series of Books That Matter to propose that you spend a little time with "No Name" by English novelist, playwright, and author - Wilkie Collins. Written in the early 1860s, between "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone", "No Name" was rejected as immoral by critics of its time; but is today regarded as a novel of outstanding social insight, showing Wilkie Collins at the height of his powers. "One of the best books written in the 19th century", says John. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Another in our occasional series of Books That Matter today, courtesy of Oxford don John Simopoulos. "If This Is a Man" by Primo Levi tells of his own experience of the Holocaust. "His tone throughout the memoir is dry-eyed and understated", wrote the Sunday Telegraph, "he makes few references to himself, and they are rarely flattering. But by the end of this short book one is left with a monument to human dignity." http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2988 2BCCF445-FAD7-4B39-8B7A-78334D2731C1 Wed, 2 Sep 2009 13:41:40 +0100 A masterpiece that is not merely terrifying but also endlessly readable Another in our occasional series of Books That Matter today, courtesy of Oxford don John Simopoulos. "If This Is a Man" by Primo Levi tells of his own experience of the Holocaust. "His tone throughout the memoir is dry-eyed and understated", wrote the Sunday Telegraph, "he makes few references to himself, and they are rarely flattering. But by the end of this short book one is left with a monument to human dignity." 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no How can you stop people stealing your great ideas? That’s the sujet-du-jour for today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2983 B5F22FE2-A623-450E-AA7A-DC8C0325FA5A Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:53:09 +0100 You're nicked! How can you stop people stealing your great ideas? That’s the sujet-du-jour for today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s author branding that gets the limelight tonight – one of the hottest topics in publishing at the moment, but what does it really mean? Can an author really be a brand – and how do you go about creating one for yourself? Luckily, we’ve got marketing guru Jamie Mollart on hand to supply some answers and sage advice – don’t miss it! Also on the panel tonight- from Florida, leading lawyer and author of the forthcoming Writer's Guide to the Courtroom Donna Ballman... from Edinburgh Litopia’s own Salmagundist, Eve Harvey... and from England’s West Country, the master of the fromage á trois - he created it live on air, folks - it's Dave Bartram. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2974 018E5B09-1B8A-4680-AB0F-76F50C02FF7B Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:11:45 +0100 Le fromage á trois It’s author branding that gets the limelight tonight – one of the hottest topics in publishing at the moment, but what does it really mean? Can an author really be a brand – and how do you go about creating one for yourself? Luckily, we’ve got marketing guru Jamie Mollart on hand to supply some answers and sage advice – don’t miss it! Also on the panel tonight- from Florida, leading lawyer and author of the forthcoming Writer's Guide to the Courtroom Donna Ballman... from Edinburgh Litopia’s own Salmagundist, Eve Harvey... and from England’s West Country, the master of the fromage á trois - he created it live on air, folks - it's Dave Bartram. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no A blogger who described a model as a “skank”, an “old hag” and a “psychotic lying whore” plans to sue Google for $18 million after they were forced to reveal her identity following a court order. On today’s Write Report with Donna, we’re looking at the complexities of this case – and the extremely nasty person whose violent actions precipitated the whole thing. Also today - the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act looks as if it will not actually devastate the children’s/YA publishing sector (another bullet dodged)… and the two-headed monster that is Google decides to impose punishing fines on publishers who fail to deliver books on time… bad Google, bad! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2968 FD0325F2-490F-4551-BED4-0CB27C9171EB Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:08:55 +0100 Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act bullet dodged A blogger who described a model as a “skank”, an “old hag” and a “psychotic lying whore” plans to sue Google for $18 million after they were forced to reveal her identity following a court order. On today’s Write Report with Donna, we’re looking at the complexities of this case – and the extremely nasty person whose violent actions precipitated the whole thing. Also today - the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act looks as if it will not actually devastate the children’s/YA publishing sector (another bullet dodged)… and the two-headed monster that is Google decides to impose punishing fines on publishers who fail to deliver books on time… bad Google, bad! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no We continue our occasional series entitled Books That Matter with a guest who will be more familiar to regular Litopia After Dark listeners – Dave Bartram. Dave has picked a book that is “possibly a perfect book” – First Light by Peter Ackroyd. It’s a fictional meditation on the nature of history, the problem of time and the true qualities of the English landscape. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2962 B9A41988-B1DB-426D-A52F-25295D6D64BF Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:50:43 +0100 First Light by Peter Ackroyd We continue our occasional series entitled Books That Matter with a guest who will be more familiar to regular Litopia After Dark listeners – Dave Bartram. Dave has picked a book that is “possibly a perfect book” – First Light by Peter Ackroyd. It’s a fictional meditation on the nature of history, the problem of time and the true qualities of the English landscape. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no We continue our conversation with Chika Unigwe, fresh from yesterday's appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival (it was sold-out!). Her new book - On Black Sisters’ Street has just been published, and we want to know about her personal journey that began in Enugu, Nigeria. What made her start writing - and what might she do next? It's a truly inspiring story. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2957 90FEDAD6-8A29-4973-9270-57C8352C07B6 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:11:50 +0100 Broken dreams on the sleazy streets of Antwerp We continue our conversation with Chika Unigwe, fresh from yesterday's appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival (it was sold-out!). Her new book - On Black Sisters’ Street has just been published, and we want to know about her personal journey that began in Enugu, Nigeria. What made her start writing - and what might she do next? It's a truly inspiring story. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no We’re proud today to feature Litopia colonist Chika Unigwe’s new book - On Black Sisters’ Street. Chika herself is appearing today at the Edinburgh International Book Festival – the event is sold out! – so if you don’t get to hear her there… you can hear her here! An award-winning short story writer, Chika was born in Enugu, Nigeria, and now lives in Belgium with her husband and four children. On Black Sisters’ Street is her second novel, but the first to be published internationally in English. Her publisher Jonathan Cape describes it as ‘a moving story of the illusion of the West through African eyes, and its annihilation’ but calls it ‘a story of courage, of unity and of hope’. American rights have been sold to Random House, and it’s already been published in Italian and Dutch. Chika used Litopia as a sounding board for the first draft of the novel. ‘I received some constructive criticism from members which was a big help when it came to revising the manuscript,’ explained Chika. ‘Now it’s finally about to be published, it feels a little like childbirth; the baby I’ve been carrying is about to see the light of day and I can show it off!’ http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2952 510A3464-766A-449F-A9DE-F6C3E7DD422F Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:05:33 +0100 The baby I’ve been carrying is about to see the light of day We’re proud today to feature Litopia colonist Chika Unigwe’s new book - On Black Sisters’ Street. Chika herself is appearing today at the Edinburgh International Book Festival – the event is sold out! – so if you don’t get to hear her there… you can hear her here! An award-winning short story writer, Chika was born in Enugu, Nigeria, and now lives in Belgium with her husband and four children. On Black Sisters’ Street is her second novel, but the first to be published internationally in English. Her publisher Jonathan Cape describes it as ‘a moving story of the illusion of the West through African eyes, and its annihilation’ but calls it ‘a story of courage, of unity and of hope’. American rights have been sold to Random House, and it’s already been published in Italian and Dutch. Chika used Litopia as a sounding board for the first draft of the novel. ‘I received some constructive criticism from members which was a big help when it came to revising the manuscript,’ explained Chika. ‘Now it’s finally about to be published, it feels a little like childbirth; the baby I’ve been carrying is about to see the light of day and I can show it off!’ 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no There’s a debate going on inside the Colony at the moment: can you learn writing from a book? There’s certainly no shortage of how-to books, seminars, courses and even holidays... pay the money, and you’ll become a bestselling author! But how useful are these products really? In today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club, we’re looking at the how-to-write book – what’s good, what’s not, and how should you use them to hone your skills. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2946 C1E69305-B8A6-43E4-A8CE-C2BC80C817DE Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:21:37 +0100 "You teach yourself how to write" There’s a debate going on inside the Colony at the moment: can you learn writing from a book? There’s certainly no shortage of how-to books, seminars, courses and even holidays... pay the money, and you’ll become a bestselling author! But how useful are these products really? In today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club, we’re looking at the how-to-write book – what’s good, what’s not, and how should you use them to hone your skills. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no George W. Bush, Roy Orbison and Darth Vader all have in common? Why are cops in one North American city arresting zombies? And why are researchers from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University compiling a report on how to deal with a zombie invasion? Answers to these pressing conundrums and much more besides on tonight’s show. Why does billionaire Steve Forbes pay his employees to go out and buy his new (and apparently not very good) book? Why don’t we change the spelling rules to make English more logical? And why is writing such darn hard work? You see – we just can’t stop asking questions! Here to supply some of the answers tonight are – cue the bagpipes – Eve Harvey, queen of the Athens of the North, and children’s author / publishing expert Graham Marks, who’s also been hanging out this week at the world’s largest literary festival in Edinburgh. Add to that our regular panelists Dave Bartram and Donna Ballman and you’ve got yourself one mean hour’s worth of litertainment… use it responsibly. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2937 076D46FA-E59B-4F16-9C16-D57251154898 Sat, 22 Aug 2009 11:56:21 +0100 Auld Reekie George W. Bush, Roy Orbison and Darth Vader all have in common? Why are cops in one North American city arresting zombies? And why are researchers from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University compiling a report on how to deal with a zombie invasion? Answers to these pressing conundrums and much more besides on tonight’s show. Why does billionaire Steve Forbes pay his employees to go out and buy his new (and apparently not very good) book? Why don’t we change the spelling rules to make English more logical? And why is writing such darn hard work? You see – we just can’t stop asking questions! Here to supply some of the answers tonight are – cue the bagpipes – Eve Harvey, queen of the Athens of the North, and children’s author / publishing expert Graham Marks, who’s also been hanging out this week at the world’s largest literary festival in Edinburgh. Add to that our regular panelists Dave Bartram and Donna Ballman and you’ve got yourself one mean hour’s worth of litertainment… use it responsibly. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no You know that lawsuit - the one filed against Oprah Winfrey, claiming a trillion dollars for alleged plagiarism? It's been thrown out of court - probably even before Oprah even knew she was being sued! In today’s Write Report with Donna, we're covering this non-event, together with the furore over Yale’s banning of images of Muhammad in book they’re publishing (or not)… and this week’s mega-plagiarism allegation – it concerns the book about FaceBook ( the FaceBook bookbook?). Ben Mezrich’s "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook" has reportedly earned him a $1.5m advance – but claims by another author, Aaron Greenspan, thatthere are “numerous similarities in word choice, event sequencing and writing style” between his book and Mezrich’s tale could slash that sum. A case for m‘learned friends, perhaps? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2927 C968520E-6697-4B73-8451-17E03836494D Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:42:13 +0100 Where there's a hit there's a writ You know that lawsuit - the one filed against Oprah Winfrey, claiming a trillion dollars for alleged plagiarism? It's been thrown out of court - probably even before Oprah even knew she was being sued! In today’s Write Report with Donna, we're covering this non-event, together with the furore over Yale’s banning of images of Muhammad in book they’re publishing (or not)… and this week’s mega-plagiarism allegation – it concerns the book about FaceBook ( the FaceBook bookbook?). Ben Mezrich’s "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook" has reportedly earned him a $1.5m advance – but claims by another author, Aaron Greenspan, thatthere are “numerous similarities in word choice, event sequencing and writing style” between his book and Mezrich’s tale could slash that sum. A case for m‘learned friends, perhaps? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no April Hamilton, founder of the indie author website Publetariat (the pioneering online news hub and community) continues yesterday's fascinating discussion about the future of publishing - and in particular, where the indie author fits into the equation. How will "big" corporate publishing interface with the new wave of indie books? Essential listening! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2927 2E296356-7B87-4D9F-9E54-678D57E83886 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 22:27:01 +0100 The future of publishing April Hamilton, founder of the indie author website Publetariat (the pioneering online news hub and community) continues yesterday's fascinating discussion about the future of publishing - and in particular, where the indie author fits into the equation. How will "big" corporate publishing interface with the new wave of indie books? Essential listening! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Our special guest today is April Hamilton, founder of the website Publetariat, the pioneering online news hub and community for indie authors and small imprints. But what exactly is an “indie author” – and why are they the next big thing on the web? April explains all. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2923 D9C396DF-54CB-4CBD-9341-CC1A0474C616 Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:37 +0100 The revolution begins! Our special guest today is April Hamilton, founder of the website Publetariat, the pioneering online news hub and community for indie authors and small imprints. But what exactly is an “indie author” – and why are they the next big thing on the web? April explains all. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no The world's largest public celebration of the written word has just kicked off - the Edinburgh International Book Festival is open from now until the end of the month, with over 700 events packed into two weeks and many of the world’s big-name authors in attendance. Our own Eve Harvey is a regular at the festival, and so today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club aims to give you a bit of background and some visitors tips. But if you can’t make it, don’t despair – Eve will be popping in and out, and taking her recorder with her! As we mention in today’s show, we were lucky enough to interview the festival’s guest director a couple of weeks ago – if you missed it, do listen to Richard Holloway talk about his latest book here. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2909 58F3FD74-522A-44B6-9DBE-26AD828AA215 Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:22:13 +0100 Eve's on the case The world's largest public celebration of the written word has just kicked off - the Edinburgh International Book Festival is open from now until the end of the month, with over 700 events packed into two weeks and many of the world’s big-name authors in attendance. Our own Eve Harvey is a regular at the festival, and so today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club aims to give you a bit of background and some visitors tips. But if you can’t make it, don’t despair – Eve will be popping in and out, and taking her recorder with her! As we mention in today’s show, we were lucky enough to interview the festival’s guest director a couple of weeks ago – if you missed it, do listen to Richard Holloway talk about his latest book here. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s a truly vintage show tonight: far better entertainment than anything you’ll find on the box these format-ridden days. With a panel that encompasses marketing guru Jamie Mollart, Litoon’s creator Richard Howse, our regular panelists Dave Bartram and Donna Ballman... well, you'd expect nothing less than effortless brilliance. Oh, and did we mention that Günther makes a last-minute and rather scary appearance? It’s a bit like that moment in The Exorcist when Linda Blair’s head spins round… sans the pea soup. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2903 34B60734-9399-43D6-9498-7EC87768A4BA Sat, 15 Aug 2009 11:00:06 +0100 Dr McCoy’s white rabbit It’s a truly vintage show tonight: far better entertainment than anything you’ll find on the box these format-ridden days. With a panel that encompasses marketing guru Jamie Mollart, Litoon’s creator Richard Howse, our regular panelists Dave Bartram and Donna Ballman... well, you'd expect nothing less than effortless brilliance. Oh, and did we mention that Günther makes a last-minute and rather scary appearance? It’s a bit like that moment in The Exorcist when Linda Blair’s head spins round… sans the pea soup. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Oprah Gail Winfrey... the richest African American of the 20th century... the most philanthropic African American of all time... and the world's first black billionaire. And now – the first woman to be hit with a TRILLION dollar lawsuit – for alleged plagiarism. In today’s Write Report with Donna, we take a look behind the scenes of this latest and most amazing nexus where publishing meets big-ticket litigation. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2837 0485931E-953B-45F0-A5AB-E815B86DCDE8 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:06:06 +0100 Gobsmackingly large sums of money... Oprah Gail Winfrey... the richest African American of the 20th century... the most philanthropic African American of all time... and the world's first black billionaire. And now – the first woman to be hit with a TRILLION dollar lawsuit – for alleged plagiarism. In today’s Write Report with Donna, we take a look behind the scenes of this latest and most amazing nexus where publishing meets big-ticket litigation. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no We’re dealing with another question arising from the Colony today – an author’s manuscript in this genre has just received its first rejection –what can they learn from this? And how should they go about re-shaping the manuscript for future submissions? Although Peter had a big evening out last night, he tries his best to give some useful advice... http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2832 B8FDDFC5-2917-4DAE-AAD9-73C9BE747168 Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:41:51 +0100 Know your reader! We’re dealing with another question arising from the Colony today – an author’s manuscript in this genre has just received its first rejection –what can they learn from this? And how should they go about re-shaping the manuscript for future submissions? Although Peter had a big evening out last night, he tries his best to give some useful advice... 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Are there any “green shoots” of economic revival in the publishing industry? That’s the topic for today’s Ask the Agent, as Peter takes us inside the industry for his view of the current zeitgeist. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2827 D1416398-3262-4C51-81EA-A13443677288 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:57:53 +0100 Smoking the Green Shoots Are there any “green shoots” of economic revival in the publishing industry? That’s the topic for today’s Ask the Agent, as Peter takes us inside the industry for his view of the current zeitgeist. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Eve’s Salmagundi Club continues for an unprecedented second day, as we carry on our discussion of what Litopia can offer the aspiring writer. And by the way - isn't Eve looking good these days? http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2789 60BE2FAA-7A60-4161-9ACD-C53B881C3A09 Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:01:00 +0100 Ask not what Litopia can do for you... Eve’s Salmagundi Club continues for an unprecedented second day, as we carry on our discussion of what Litopia can offer the aspiring writer. And by the way - isn't Eve looking good these days? 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no A post inside the Colony prompts today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club - unusually introspective, because instead of looking at other writing-related websites on the net, we’re examining our own. What is the point of communities such as ours? Some interesting background on the Colony, and ways people use it to their benefit. Continues tomorrow. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2782 069A5AC1-9D05-4FA0-B6EE-C912E213E165 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:54:28 +0100 "You seem to think you're God's gift to this earth" A post inside the Colony prompts today’s Eve’s Salmagundi Club - unusually introspective, because instead of looking at other writing-related websites on the net, we’re examining our own. What is the point of communities such as ours? Some interesting background on the Colony, and ways people use it to their benefit. Continues tomorrow. 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no It’s no secret that the slushpile is a repository of all that’s bad about writing – a temporary resting place for the kind of material that furnishes agents and publishers with endless smug jokes at all those cocktail parties they go to. Except – it isn’t. Tonight, we hear from industry insider Joanna Swainson, making her first appearance on the show, whose job it is to read the slushpile. And she explodes a lot of myths! Making a welcome return is writer and clinical psychologist Susan O'Doherty. Dr. Sue is the author of Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity and tonight, she’s looking at writers and alcohol – what’s the connection? Donna Ballman tonight is here too, asking why episodic fiction used to be popular but now appears to be a dying art form. And our other regular panelist, Dave Bartram, believes that social networking sites may be affecting our ability to make meaningful relationships – could our society be nearing a vital tipping point? Dave makes a strong case. All this - together with lashings of Harriet Harman, todger-gluing (you may not want to know, but you‘re going to know), how to embarrass your kids off the internet and a touching online tribute to John Hughes, the director who gave a voice to the '80s generation. http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2775 F04E03F8-D621-4585-A94B-E8DBE8CA6696 Sat, 8 Aug 2009 10:51:02 +0100 Todger-gluing is punishment-gluing It’s no secret that the slushpile is a repository of all that’s bad about writing – a temporary resting place for the kind of material that furnishes agents and publishers with endless smug jokes at all those cocktail parties they go to. Except – it isn’t. Tonight, we hear from industry insider Joanna Swainson, making her first appearance on the show, whose job it is to read the slushpile. And she explodes a lot of myths! Making a welcome return is writer and clinical psychologist Susan O'Doherty. Dr. Sue is the author of Getting Unstuck Without Coming Unglued: A Woman's Guide to Unblocking Creativity and tonight, she’s looking at writers and alcohol – what’s the connection? Donna Ballman tonight is here too, asking why episodic fiction used to be popular but now appears to be a dying art form. And our other regular panelist, Dave Bartram, believes that social networking sites may be affecting our ability to make meaningful relationships – could our society be nearing a vital tipping point? Dave makes a strong case. All this - together with lashings of Harriet Harman, todger-gluing (you may not want to know, but you‘re going to know), how to embarrass your kids off the internet and a touching online tribute to John Hughes, the director who gave a voice to the '80s generation. 56:20 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing yes no Stephenie Meyer has joined that elite group of authors: along with JK Rowling and Dan Brown, her hit books are now ready targets for lawsuits. In Donna’s Write Report today, we consider the strengths and weaknesses of the recent claim against Stephenie for plagiarism. Will it get to court? We can’t say yet, but we’re sure of one thing: the lawyers will be rubbing their hands. In other stories, a new petition seeks the removal of DRM and the associated ability to control Kindle books purchased from Amazon, and increasingly numbers of publishers are using authors’ missed deadlines to renegotiate, or even cancel, contracts. The moral – be punctual! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2769 EEA4FC65-7057-4683-A4CA-4F605FEEB283 Thu, 6 Aug 2009 20:00:37 +0100 Punctuality is the politeness of princes Stephenie Meyer has joined that elite group of authors: along with JK Rowling and Dan Brown, her hit books are now ready targets for lawsuits. In Donna’s Write Report today, we consider the strengths and weaknesses of the recent claim against Stephenie for plagiarism. Will it get to court? We can’t say yet, but we’re sure of one thing: the lawyers will be rubbing their hands. In other stories, a new petition seeks the removal of DRM and the associated ability to control Kindle books purchased from Amazon, and increasingly numbers of publishers are using authors’ missed deadlines to renegotiate, or even cancel, contracts. The moral – be punctual! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no Strong religionists... weak religionists... after religionists... which one are you? “Religion is one of our most extraordinary creations; we can learn much about ourselves by interrogating it” believes Richard Holloway, formerly Bishop of Edinburgh and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. This is our last day with Richard, who must now be frantically busy being guest director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. “To be alive at all is an extraordinary gift”, he says. “It’s a bit daft to use the one life you’re given to trample on the lives of others.” Richard has been challenging people all his life to examine how they live theirs – the paperback of his most recent book, “Between The Monster and the Saint”, is on sale now - if you enjoyed your time with Richard this week, buy it! http://podcast.litopia.com/?p=2764 546FAAAB-E834-43B1-8EC5-DA30560CF8DC Thu, 6 Aug 2009 10:25:15 +0100 Who cares about indifference? Strong religionists... weak religionists... after religionists... which one are you? “Religion is one of our most extraordinary creations; we can learn much about ourselves by interrogating it” believes Richard Holloway, formerly Bishop of Edinburgh and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. This is our last day with Richard, who must now be frantically busy being guest director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival. “To be alive at all is an extraordinary gift”, he says. “It’s a bit daft to use the one life you’re given to trample on the lives of others.” Richard has been challenging people all his life to examine how they live theirs – the paperback of his most recent book, “Between The Monster and the Saint”, is on sale now - if you enjoyed your time with Richard this week, buy it! 12:41 Litopia Writers' Colony peter cox, publishing, books, writing no no