Over 48,000 Copies Sold ...

Sales of CROSLEY: Two Brothers and a Business Empire that Transformed the Nation have topped 48,000. If you're curious about how the book was promoted, and the special geographic pattern of sales, have a look at this story in Publishers Weekly.

This comes after CROSLEY made the New York Times extended bestseller list, as well as the Wall Street Journal and Business Week lists.
--Mike
http://www.michaelabanks.com

Books about Writing, for Writers

The header says "Books for Writers," but note that this post isn't about books on writing how-to and technique. Rather, the following are books that will expand your knowledge of both the writing process and the publishing business.

• Another Life: A Memoir of Other People, by Michael Korda (Random House, 1999). Here's an excellent and entertaining guide to how the book publishing industry works.
• Hitchhiker: A Biography of Douglas Adams, by M.J. Simpson (Justin, Charles & Co., 2005). If you have trouble finishing (or starting) a manuscript, don't panic! Adams suffered from the same problems as you do.
• Education of a Wandering Man, by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1990 Reissue). This is as close to an autobiography as L'Amour ever wrote. It provides an inside look at the writer's mind, and how he folded life experience into short stories and novels.
• How to Be Your Own Literary Agent: The Business of Getting a Book Published, Revised edition, by Richard Curtis (Houghton-Mifflin, 2003). Pretty much everything you need to know about the business end of writing books.
• Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond, by Andrew Lycett . This is an interesting biography on its own, with the bonus of covering a lot of the ins and outs of Fleming's literary dealings. You learn how Fleming got his books into print, how he promoted them, and even how much specific books earned.
• Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life, by Terry Brooks (Del Rey, 2004). An interesting mix of autobiography, writing business and how-to, and fantasy.
  

In addendum, if you are interested in writing for a living you may find my book, How to Become a Fulltime Freelance Writer, of interest. (An Ebook version will be available at Amazon soon.)
--Mike
http://www.michaelabanks.com

Politics

Politics: The art of making people see what they want to see, rather than what is.

LitChick: Crosley book just won't quit

As of February 12, CROSLEY is on the Business Week hardcover bestseller list.

Sara Pearce, Cincinnati's LitChick, says: "Crosley book just won't quit!"

Newspaper book blogging ...

Here's something we don't see enough of: a dedicated book blog in a newspaper. Cincinnati's LitChick, Enquirer veteran Sara Pearce, provides some of the most comprehensive coverage of new books available. It's all from the reader's viewpoint, with lots of interesting background details on authors, publishers, and the books themselves. Regional and national.

Sara is currently running a poll as to which character readers think will die in the next (and final) Harry Potter book. Have a look, at:

LitChick: Hmm ... who do you think will die?

Check out some of the other features, too!
--Mike
http://www.michaelabanks.com

Fame?

The more famous you are, the less you act it. The more famous you THINK you are, the more you act a fool about it.

--Mike
http://www.michaelabanks.com