May 2013
12 posts
7 tags
Friday Reads
Another round-up of our weekly reads!
The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
Promising Young Women by Suzanne Scanlon
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Women on Wednesday--AJ Walkley
AJ Walkley
What was the impetus or inspiration to write your stories?
While my first two novels (Choice and Queer Greer) were primarily driven by social issues that also affected me personally in some way (abortion and the LGBT+ community, respectively), my newest book – Vuto – was inspired by my experience as a health volunteer in the U.S. Peace Corps. Stationed in Malawi, Africa, one of...
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Author Education Series #11a
Choosing Crowdfunding Reward Incentives
By AJ Walkley
On April 9th, I launched my first crowdfunding campaign to fund the publication of my third novel, Vuto. I had started to look into crowdfunding opportunities upon finishing the last edit of my novel, wanting to get it into readers’ hands. Not being in a place financially to do so myself, I turned to this platform in the hopes that I would...
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Friday Reads
A roundup of what the Pubslush team has been digging into this week.
a beautiful mess by Ali Berlinski
(Debuted last Tuesday! Get your copy here!)
The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown
Is Everyone Hanging Out With Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Happy Friday and happy reading!
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Women on Wednesday--Jessica Soffer
Jessica Soffer
What was the impetus or inspiration to write your story?
I wrote a story called “Pain” when I was in graduate school. It was the very staccato recounting of a woman’s life of pain from the time she was a young girl until she was an adult. The story’s protagonist was the character that became Lorca in my novel. I found her voice even in the story (which...
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Your Next Summer Read is Here!
Introducing a beautiful mess by Ali Berlinski
Pubslush Press’s debut title is here! Order your copy today!
Be one of the first to own the first book to ever be published by a crowdfunding platform. Your friends will be so jealous.
Ali Berlinski bravely walks readers through a compilation of short stories starring her own family and the result is a narrative that’s partmemoir, part survival...
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Blogs We Love: Memoir Writer's Journey
How and when did you decide to become a writer?
For years, like many others, I have felt I have had a book inside me. I have enjoyed writing since I was about ten years old when I wrote plays for my maternal grandmother, Nan and all her little Italian lady friends. I can still see them gathered in the living room sipping coffee and chattering on in Italian. I never understood a word but I can...
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Friday Reads
Here’s an inside look at what the Pubslush team has been reading this week. A lot of great books to add to your reading list if you’ve missed out on any of these!
Behind The Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
“It seemed to him that in Annawadi, fortunes derived not just from what people did, or how well they did it, but from the accidents and catastrophes they dodged. A decent life...
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Women on Wednesday--Niki Tulk
Niki Tulk
1. How and when did you decide to become a writer?
I think that writing is something that chooses you, in a way. I cannot remember a time when I was not writing, storytelling, drawing and even singing my stories before I could form words with a pen … then the thrill of constructing sentences, filling pages in secret notebooks with tales of high fantasy, novellas about magical cats...
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5 Great Facebook Pages for Book Lovers
Social media: a brilliant place for keeping in touch with friends, posting pictures of cats, and book discussions. Facebook is filled with countless pages for readers and writers, but which ones are worth following? Here are the best five pages on Facebook for all you book lovers out there that connect you with countless people reading the same books, and sharing their views from the comfort of...
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Women on Wednesday--Alissa Johnson
Alissa Johnson
1. What was the impetus or inspiration to write your story?
I tried very hard not to write my story. In 2008, I started graduate school at the University of Western Connecticut MFA program. I was determined to become a witty travel writer—a David Sedaris meets Barbara Kingsolver out on the open road, if such a thing is possible! I swore I would never write about relationships...
April 2013
13 posts
15 tags
MAY I Please Have Some Literature In My Life?
Calling all book lovers! New York City always has something to do, and the literary community is no different. Here’s a list of some of the literary events happening in the city for the month of May to help you get out into the community, hear your favorite authors speak about their work, and maybe get some tips for your own. Most of these events are free or only have a requested donation, so...
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Coffee Shops in NYC for Writers
The Coffee Bean, 606 2nd Ave
You’ll often see the Pubslush team working here, incidentally on this blog post. The Coffee Bean has both booths and lounge chairs, along with tables and chairs to help you focus on your writing.
There tends to be a shortage of outlets, but you can always find a seat (provided they’re not taken up by the Pubslush team), surrounded by plenty of other people...
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Women on Wednesday--Meghan Ward
Meghan Ward
1. What was the impetus or inspiration for you to write your story?
After spending nine years working as a fashion model at the height of the supermodel craze in the late 80s and early 90s—I spent a lot of time answering questions like, “Did you meet any supermodels?” “Do all models have eating disorders?” “Did you make a ton of money?” “Do all models do drugs?” I decided to write...
“News of the world. Formalistic experimentation and an ineluctable sense of the...”
– BR Fiction Editor Junot Díaz answers the question “What, in your opinion, makes for a powerful piece of writing?” in his interview with Pubslush. (via bostonreview)
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Five Getaways for Writers
We all need a vacation. But there are some destinations around the world that could actually get you out of your writing slump. Everyone needs that room-of-one’s-own, but sitting in that silent, dark room with a pot of coffee can only keep those creative juices flowing for so long.
So, if you’re looking for a change of scenery, a spark of inspiration, or just a quiet place to sit down and write to...
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Women on Wednesday--Vicki Addesso
Vicki Addesso
1. At what age did you begin writing? Is writing your sole career or do you have other jobs in addition to being an author?
I began writing when I began reading. I love reading. I remember being very young, and watching my father sit at the kitchen table reading the newspaper. I saw all the marks - which were letters - but did not know what they were yet. I felt like my father...
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The Digital Age: What's an Author to Do?
Blogging. Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Goodreads. Amazon. There are so many online platforms to promote yourself as an author. It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?
Despite the array of platforms available for authors to create an online presence, they all link back to the most important facet of online promotion: having an amazing author website.
Sounds like a lot of work though,...
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Ten Twitters All Writers Should Follow
Twitter might be a place for some to post pictures of cats and endless updates about their daily lives, but it also has invaluable writing advice and links to connect writers with everything happening in the literary world. That’s the beauty of social media—you can make countless invaluable connections from the comfort of your own home, all while wearing your pink bunny slippers and bathrobe....
12 tags
Women on Wednesday--Alexandra Caselle
Alexandra Caselle
1. What was the impetus or inspiration for you to begin writing?
I always have said that I held a pen in my hand while I nursed a sippy cup in the other. Writing has always been a part of me. It allows my imagination to have full reign. As a child and still as an adult, I have had an active imagination. Whenever there was a thunderstorm in sunny Jacksonville, I pretended...
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Amazon + Goodreads, The New Literary Lovechild
Oh, Amazon. At it again. As many of you know, the corporation bought Goodreads last week, creating a new literary lovechild. A good ol’ literary scandal.
With Amazon purchasing many of the big websites today, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’ve recently merged with Goodreads, a book recommendation community for readers. As a platform to recommend books, Goodreads is an ideal place for...
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Literary Spotlight: Under the Gum Tree
Under the Gum Tree is a new micro-magazine that publishes creative non-fiction and visual art. Learn more about the magazine and what they publish below. For more, be sure to check out their website!
1. Under the Gum Tree is a micro-magazine. Sounds fancy! Can you tell us what that means?
Absolutely — the term “micro-magazine” comes from Seth Godin and the concept is that,...
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Women on Wednesday--Elisabeth Kinsey
Elisabeth Kinsey
1. At what age did you begin writing? Is writing your sole career or do you have other jobs in addition to being an author? I wrote my first story called “How California Got Its Name” about a Calif who was sad and travelled to a magical land called Ornia. That won me the Young Author’s Award in sixth grade. The rest is history. If you get praised for writing at a young...
March 2013
6 posts
12 tags
Women on Wednesday--Jennie Nash
Jennie Nash is the author of three memoirs and four novels. Her most recent novel is the historical novel Perfect Red, a story about a young writer in McCarthy-era New York who goes after the story of the perfect red lipstick. Visit her at www.jennienash.com to order a copy of her most recent non-fiction work, a guide for writers called Blueprint for a Book.
1. At what age did you begin...
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Literary Spotlight: Boston Review
Pubslush had the chance to speak with Junot Diaz, fiction editor of the Boston Review and author of Drown, This Is How You Lose Her, and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.
Diaz shares his insights as an author and editor below!
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What is the mission of Boston Review?
Trying to publish the kind of work that might be useful to the future. The kind of work that helps to make clear...
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Literary Spotlight: Better magazine
What makes Better better?
We named the magazine Better not as a statement of superiority (except maybe in a self-conscious, self-mocking sort of way), but as an ambition and a goal: we want to push ourselves to do better, to make better use of the online format by incorporating audio and video, as well as the other interactive and multi-media elements that are central to online culture. In...
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Women on Wednesday--Brittany Geragotelis
Brittany Geragotelis 1. Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a published author with Simon and Schuster?
Sure! Well, I tried going the traditional route in getting published—getting an agent, the agent getting me a publisher, the publisher giving me a deal—and only got rejected. After 9 years of rejection, I decided to change my goals when it came to writing. I realized I...
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Stuff We Love: Where Writers Win
Pubslush had the opportunity to chat with Shari Stauch from Where Writer’s Win, an invaluable resource that provides marketing services for authors. Learn more about Where Writers Win below!
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Why did you develop Where Writers Win?
I’d worked with a number of authors, agents and editors while helping produce writers conferences in Myrtle Beach, SC and New Orleans, LA and kept hearing...
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St. Patrick's Day: What Are We Drinking For?
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope I’ve posted this blog early enough to find you all in all in suitable condition. Before you deck yourself head to toe in green and start hammerin’ down the Guinness, do you know what you’re celebrating? I know whether you’re Irish or not, you’ll take any excuse to drink up and get down, but who where did this tradition originate from?
Well, quick history lesson....
February 2013
9 posts
9 tags
Blogs We Love: Scribbling in the Garret
Cynthia Platt is the voice behind Scribbling in the Garret. She discusses starting and maintaining her blog and how she balances her life as a writer, editor, student, and mother.
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Why did you start your blog?
Would “it’s complicated” work for an answer? I wanted to start a blog two years ago—when my picture books (A Little Bit of Love and Panda-monium) were published. I never did it. I...
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Literary Spotlight: 95Notes
95Notes is a creative literary journal based out of Chicago, but operating on an international scale. The magazine is in the final stages of launching an online edition, and submissions can be made here. We got a chance to speak with Shaunwell Posley, president of 95Notes, about his take on the industry.
How long has your journal been running?
We are actually just celebrating our 5th year in...
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Five Tumblr Blogs All Readers & Writers Should...
Book Mania!
“Cultivating love and passion for reading” is the tagline for Book Mania! and it sums up the overall theme of the site perfectly. The Tumblr site is a haven for all things literary, including quotes from famous authors, book suggestions and summaries, gorgeous photos of libraries from around the world and so, so much more. Warning: You could get lost in the vast and...
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Literary Spotlight: Anomalous Press
Anomalous Press is a literary journal that runs a variety of literature. We got a chance to speak with Sarah Kosch, editor at Anomalous Press, who talks about what it takes to become a successful author.
How long has your journal been running?
Since March of 2011.
What is the focus of your journal?
The diffusion of writing in the forms it can take, whether it is poetry, fiction, nonfiction,...
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Blogs We Love: Livia Blackburne
Livia Blackburne blogs about the intersection of writing, neuroscience, and psych. Learn more about her life as a recovering neuroscientist turned writer and then check out her blog here!
Why did you start your blog?
As I was getting more serious about writing, I tried to learn more about craft. I was looking for a blog that described writing techniques, with different tricks to add to your...
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How to Navigate Your Facebook News Feed on...
Love is in the air, cherubs are whizzing around, pricking starry-eyed lovers with their lusty arrows, and restaurants are swamped with reservations for two. It must be Valentine’s Day.
The flood of Valentine’s Day posts on social media networks is at an all-time high. If you’re in love, everyone knows it. If you’re alone, everyone knows it. If you got flowers, everyone has seen the picture. Every...
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Literary Spotlight: Blast Furnace
This week, we got a chance to go in-depth with Rebecca Clever, Editor at Blast Furnace. She gives us some insight into her writing process, thoughts on the industry, and why she does what she does. Blast Furnace is currently calling for submissions, so be sure to check out their site!
How long has your journal been running?
Blast Furnace was founded in June 2010.
What inspired you to focus on...
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Literary Spotlight: Bartleby Snopes
Bartleby Snopes is more than just a silly name; it is also a long running literary journal that is always updating, evolving, and finding new authors. We spoke with Managing Editor Nathaniel Tower about the magazine, getting published, and perfecting your abilities as a writer.
How long has your journal been running?
I started the journal in 2008. Back then, I was the only staff member. Now...
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Winter Blues: Books to Warm Up With
Christmas may be long go, but baby, it’s still cold outside and the chill in the air probably won’t be warming up anytime soon. However, let’s look one the bright side. You get to wear fabulous and warm scarves in the winter. Okay, and it’s a great excuse to hibernate and start knocking books off your reading list. At Pubslush, we know your reading list can never be too...
January 2013
6 posts
9 tags
Literary Spotlight: Beatdom
In this week’s Literary Spotlight we had the chance to speak with David Willis, editor for long running beat magazine Beatdom. He talks about beat literature, finding your inspiration, and how to get published.
How long has your journal been running?
6 years.
What motivated you to run a journal centered on the beat generation?
I was going through a Beat phase at the end of my time in...
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Blogs We Love: Wordplay
Interview with K.M. Weiland, the voice of Wordplay. K.M. Weiland is the author of the epic fantasy Dreamlander, the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, her book Outlining Your Novel: Map Your Way to Success, and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.
Why did...
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Literary Spotlight: 491 Magazine
Running both online and in print, 491 Magazine is always look for talented new poets and artists. Those looking to submit their work can do so here. We got a chance to speak with Caitlyn, editor at 491, about what she sees in the industry.
How long has your journal been running?
Since May 2009.
What is the focus of your journal?
We publish poetry and art.
What attracted you to working on...
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Workshop Wednesday- Free Expressions
Erin Anderson
Free Expressions Seminars and Literary Services
How often do your workshops meet?
An average of four times a year.
What resources and/or programs do you offer writers?
Story Masters: A four-day workshop with Donald Maass, Christopher Vogler and James Scott Bell.Through their combined expertise, students are fully immersed in their novel in progress, engaged in practical,...
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Literary Spotlight: Black Lawrence Press
Pubslush had the chance to speak with Dianne Goettel at Black Lawrence Press, an independent press that runs frequent contests for literature and poetry. Authors looking for more details on these contests, as well as the press itself, can get more details here.
What criteria do you use as a publisher to choose projects?
The only criteria that is important to us is literary merit. We do not...
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Literary Spotlight: The Bacon Review
Rather than being a pork-based compendium, The Bacon Review seeks to publish authors who are passionate about high quality literature in any form. Those looking to submit can do so here, though they should read the guidelines first. We got a chance to speak with Eric Westerlind, editor at The Bacon Review, about his experience with the industry.
How long has your journal been running?
Our...
December 2012
6 posts
7 tags
Literary Spotlight: Atticus Review
Atticus Review is a weekly online journal with a unique sense of style and eclectic tastes. A subset of Atticus Books, the journal embraces unique writing of all kinds. We got to speak with Dan Cafaro, Chief Imagination Officer at Atticus, for his take on the industry. Writers looking to submit can head here, or can reach out to Dan with ideas for regular columns. ...
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Literary Spotlight: Assaracus
Assaracus is a well established literary journal focusing on gay male poetry, although it accepts a variety of submissions. A subset of Sibling Rivalry Press, Assaracus is constantly showcasing new talent. We got a chance to speak with Bryan Borland, a publisher at Sibling Rivalry, about the journal and his take on the field.
How long has your journal been running?
One of the first places my...
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Pubslush Marketplace Seeks Freelance Writing...
So, you’re an author and you’ve just successfully completed your Pubslush campaign. Congratulations! You’ve raised the money you will need to publish your book. Now what…?
Thanks to our partnership with MaestroMarket, Pubslush has developed a one-stop marketplace for our authors. Once an author has completed their Pubslush campaign, they will need the resources and a team of publishing...
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Bookstores Galore: Kramerbooks & Afterwords
Kramerbooks & Afterwords, located in the heart of Washington D.C. on 1517 Connecticut Ave., was the first bookstore/Café in the country. This bookstore was brought to life in 1976 by Bill Kramer, who was the manager of his father’s store called Sidney Kramer Books which unfortunately closed in 1997. Kramerbooks & Afterwords prides itself on being the first independent bookstore to...
