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Books & Talks

The Loneliest Guy Is from Seattle

His name is Jeff, and he has a new book out today with Amazon Publishing.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Mar 20, 2012 at 01:00PM 0 Comments

“If anyone wants to talk about anything, call me (347) 469-3173." —Jeff, one lonely guy

Neon flyers with lonely Jeff’s number papered Lower Manhattan in October, prompting New Yorkers to actually stop for once, mid-stride, and wonder: Is this for real? Is it a prank? A reality TV show stunt? Or just some horny guy?

Turns out Jeff Ragsdale, a native Seattleite and unemployed comedian reeling from a bad breakup, was very much real, and willing to answer his phone. The day his flyers went up, he received about 100 texts and phone calls. Photos of his SOS went viral, and soon, the calls were long distance—from Spain, Iraq, Taiwan, Australia. He heard from Goldman Sachs traders, 60-year-old widows, moms with young children, ex-cons; the curious, the bi-curious, the forlorn and unemployed. To date, Ragsdale had received upwards of 65,000 texts and calls—and with the help of his former professor, Seattle author David Shields, and Michael Logan, he’s turned the cacophony of conversations into a new book, Jeff, One Lonely Guy, out today via Amazon Publishing.

“Michael Logan and I rearranged the material into this chorus of voices talking about the searing loneliness of existence in America at this moment,” Shields says in the introduction. “This is Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground told by and for and in the digital age… this is Occupy Loneliness.” It’s a fitting new release for Shields, a champion of nontraditional nonfiction whose 2010 book, Reality Hunger: A Manifesto, issues a rally cry that “reality cannot be copyrighted.” In turn, Jeff, One Lonely Guy is made up entirely of text messages, voice mails, and snippets of transcribed phone conversations, with Ragsdale’s life story providing the loosest of narrative threads to the whole sad, sexed-up “chorus.” Both the book and its maker, Amazon Publishing’s New York–based imprint, are challenging the rules of storytelling and publishing.

And no, it’s not a prank.

Jeff, One Lonely Guy
Out Mar 20 in paperback and e-book at amazon.com

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Tags: Books & Talks, Publishing, Amazon

Books & Talks

Ten Reasons Publishers Say No to Your Book

And other tips on how to get published from local ladies in the know.

Posted by: Laura Dannen on Mar 28, 2011 at 01:00PM 1 Comments

You’d have thought local authors Kerry Colburn and Jennifer Worick were touting secrets to better hair and eternal life last Thursday, because the sold-out crowd at Hotel 1000 was engrossed. Notebooks out, pens scribbling furiously, like we were taking notes from Moses on the mountain…if Moses already had a two-book deal with Random House for The 10 Commandments: Slab One and Two. Between the two of them, Colburn and Worick have published more than 30 books—including Worick’s bestseller The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Dating & Sex and Colburn’s nonfiction titles How to Have Your Second Child First and Good Drinks for Bad Days—in addition to working as editors at Chronicle Books and Running Press, respectively. They’ve been on both sides of the trenches, and have emerged with practical tips for fledgling authors, delivered with a bit of sass and a mom’s encouragement.

“We want you to pull the trigger, rip off the Band-Aid and sell your book,” Worick enthused.

In their three-part publishing seminar, they cover everything from creating a book proposal (“You don’t have to send a whole manuscript”) to self-publishing to understanding advances and royalties (“Stand for nothing less than a 5 percent royalty!”). It was useful stuff, even for someone who’d already started a proposal (my collection of short stories is languishing in an envelope beneath my desk). Thursday’s “The Business of Books: Navigating the World of Publishing” discussion ended with—what else—a top 10 list.

Ten Reasons Publishers Say No to Your Book

1. Too much competition.
2. Too similar to a book that’s already out.
“Avoid going up against the Category Killer—a book that overwhelmingly dominates its genre.”
3. Too small in sales potential.
4. Too narrow in scope.
“We call this ‘magazine article syndrome.’ It’s a story that doesn’t have the legs to run long, like ‘Planning a Wedding When You’re Over 40 and on Jury Duty.’”
5. Not enough author recognition.
“Publishers are looking for authors who are specialists, with an area of expertise and a base of fans and contacts.”
6. Beyond author’s capabilities and/or credentials.
7. Poorly written.
“This is self-explanatory.”
8. Too expensive to produce.
9. Outside our purview.
“In other words, we don’t publish sci-fi/young adult/children’s books/romance/etc.”
10. Not remarkable, surprising, or unputdownable enough.

Fear No. 10? We all do. But it’s a four-letter word this duo doesn’t want to hear. They’ll lead a free, abbreviated version of their publishing talks at Seattle Public Library’s Central Library on Saturday, April 2, from noon–1pm. They’ll also run the same three-part series this April through June ($40 a session/$99 all three); find out more at bizofbooks.wordpress.com.

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Tags: How To, Books & Talks, Seattle Public Library, Publishing

Arts Crush

Checking Out The Novel: Live!

Thirty-six authors + six days + countless pots of coffee = marathon book-writing session.

Posted by: Olivia Margoshes on Oct 12, 2010 at 12:30PM 2 Comments

When I first heard of The Novel: Live! I envisioned a group of writers huddled around a computer while one of their own sat typing to a chorus of sharp gasps and choice expletives. How else would 36 people crank out a novel in six days? “I wanted something wild and nutty that would get people excited,” said author Garth Stein, co-conspirator behind this week’s marathon book-writing session at Hugo House.

Inspired by New York’s annual marathon reading of James Joyce’s Ulysses, Stein recruited his fellow Seattle7Writers, a cadre of nationally acclaimed authors, even his mom (“She’s typing up a synopsis”) to take turns crafting sections of the story. When I arrived at Hugo House yesterday, Day 1 of Noveling, Pulitzer Prize–winning author William Dietrich was nearing the end of his two-hour stint at the computer. As he typed, his words were projected onto a giant pull-down screen behind him:

So they prowled through the desk. As before, much of it seemed like Mayan code to both of them, a bunch of numbers and accounts that gave no clue as to whether to Angeline Hotel was solvent or bankrupt.

So far, the story depicts the life of Alexis Austin, who lives on the top floor of her mother’s Seattle hotel. There are caskets in the basement (next to the washing machines) and an old hippie resident with a pet crow named Habib. Clearly, one of the strengths of the novel will be its reflection of styles and genres as diverse as its authors. How diverse? Dietrich pens historical/mystery novels. Sean Beaudoin used to write for the Onion. Robert Dugoni deals in murder, treachery, and legal thrillers.

“In a lot of ways it’s easier than writing a whole novel,” said Stein, who’ll take his turn on Thursday. “With fiction, anything is possible. You’re all by yourself. Here, though, you have a preexisting scenario that other writers get to draw from.” For a full list of participating writers, as well as a live feed (it’s not as creepy as it sounds, I promise) of the author up to bat, visit thenovellive.org. To witness the magic in action, head over to the Hugo House between 10am and 10pm, now through Saturday. Once finished, the novel will be edited and published in the spring as an e-book; tips and donations benefit Writers in the Schools, which places local authors in public schools as a way to spark interest in reading and writing.

UPDATED 10/15/10. Open Road Integrated Media, a company that publishes and markets ebooks, announced today that it will publish the novel produced by Novel: Live!

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Tags: Hugo House, Books & Talks, Arts Crush, Publishing