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What does Bestseller mean?

Seth Godin discusses Bestseller lists and what they really mean to us.A year ago, I explained why the Domino Project chose to reject the very broken, easily gamed New York Times bestseller list.Many...

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Homophones

A homophone in a book is disruptive. A reader can be so distracted by the improper word usage that they totally lose the thread of the story.At the very least, homophones reflect poorly on a writer and...

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From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant - Alex Gilvarry

From the Memoirs of a Non-Enemy Combatant by Alex GilvarryMy rating: 4 of 5 starsAlex Gilvarry writes a very good tongue-in-cheek modern social commentary. The premise itself is a little nutty, as...

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The State of Book Reviewing

Ron Charles bemoans the current state of book reviewing. In addition to lamenting the lack of excitement in the review pages of major publications, he also takes a swipe at amateur review sites like...

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Birth of a Book

The Telegraph shows us the beauty and skill involved in creating a book. Filmed at England's tradition printers, Smith-Settle Printers, the video shows the steps in the production of Suzanne St Albans'...

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Ashley Judd teaches us about the value of vocabulary

Hooray for articulate, impassioned, intelligent women who refuse to take **** from anyone. Ashley Judd shows us the value of vocabulary and the ability to use the right word for the right effect......

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Practice or Practise?

Practice or practise. Which one is correct? My favourite answer. It depends.British/Canadian/Australian/South Africans use practice as a noun and practise as a verb. Microsoft Word's dictionary is...

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Book Review - Naples Declared by Benjamin Taylor

Naples Declared by Benjamin TaylorMy rating: 4 of 5 starsNaples Declared is not a travel book. But then it's not a history book either. It is the story of Benjamin Taylor's relationship with a city....

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Storytelling vs Writing

Again and again I try to explain how storytelling and writing are two different skill sets. Storytelling is art, writing is craft. You can learn writing. You can study books, take classes, read the...

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Churlish Book Reviewers

Every now and then I run across a book review someplace like Amazon or Facebook written by a fussy, pedantic grammar nazi who has undertaken to police the world of words as their life's mission. These...

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Book Review - Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins by Randolph Lalonde

Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins by Randolph LalondeMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis Sci-fi, space opera is very reminiscent of Star Trek and others of that oeuvre. It is what it is, and as it is, it is...

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Not OK. Okay?

Incorrect - OKCorrect - okayGot that? Okay then.

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British vs American English

There is a great discussion going on over at Suzanne O'Leary's blog about the differences between British and American English. The comments are as entertaining as the blog post itself.You say Tomayto...

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Espresso Book Machine

The Espresso Book Machine is a cool new technology to produce books on demand, only when ordered.Compare to doing it the old way here and here.Update: June 13, 2012 - I received a printing quote from a...

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Back to the Future

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

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Toe the Line - Not Tow the Line

That old expression - to toe the line - meaning to stand in line with your confreres, has been bowlderized into "Tow the Line", for some godawful reason.I can only assume that some combination of lack...

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Archway Disappoints

Simon & Shuster's publishing house has proudly stepped into the self-publishing business by working with Author Solutions to create a separate new business called Archway Publishing. Archway will...

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Word Geeks Celebrate

Just in time for Christmas Michael Skapinker reviews three books for word geeks in this Financial Times essay. If you didn't get these books in your Christmas stocking, Skapinker's excellent overview...

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Geeking out over Grammar

Okay, time for some silliness courtesy of The Onion. “At this time we have reason to believe the killings were gang-related and carried out by adherents of both the AP and Chicago styles, part of a...

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Famous Toronto Bookstore Closing

Inside Hoare's Front Street East store.Nicholas Hoare calls it the end of the golden age of bookselling.Hoare's iconic Front Street East book store is scheduled to close April 1st. The 70 year old...

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The Economist is Wrong about ISBNs

It's not often that I get a chance to disagree with a publication as venerable as The Economist, but I am delighted to say that I think their recent article about the disappearance of the ISBN...

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Wordsmith News

I thought I would try something new, an eclectic conglomeration of literati updates from around the web. News, opinion and fiction short and long.Click here to read the latest sample ==> Wordsmith...

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The Shocking Truth About Xlibris

Anyone thinking about self-publishing must watch this video. Do as this lady says. Hire independent help. Print your own books through a reputable print on demand service like Createspace, Lightning...

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No Place for a Reader

School is No Place for a Reader says Jennifer Franssen in her blog post at Canadian Notes & Queries.Franssen chronicles the misadventures of her bibliophile daughter throughout elementary school as...

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The Oxford Comma

Courtesy of TED Talks... a short video explaining the Oxford (or Serial) comma.Full disclosure: I'm a big fan of clarity and therefore recommend the Oxford comma. But however you decide to proceed,...

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