One of the more disturbing stories I’ve covered over the last few days was a seemingly new policy implemented by the large bookstore chain Barnes & Noble requiring authors to place a link to the B&N website, or risk the large not ordering their books.

My first post on this story Why is Barnes & Noble dictating what authors should have on their website was fairly cautious, as I wanted to avoid adding fuel to a possible rumor (and there are plenty of them on the web). But this story has gained a lot of traction and is disturbing both in its truth and implications for authors.

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I’m a little late covering Banned Books Week, but I figure better late than never. This is actually a very important event because it gives attention to the freedom to read what one chooses and not giving into demands by groups or individuals to restrict access to a books based on what they find as offensive content.

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In today’s technology-driven, social online world, authors need a website to promote themselves and their books. Without an online presence, an author risks being thrown into obscurity. An author website should be primarily of an author’s own making (except for the design, that should be left to professionals). Their publisher (unless they are an indie author) might help them optimize their site to promote their books – that never hurts.

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I can’t believe September is almost gone. Summer is behind us and we are heading full-steam into autumn. I love the fall because the leaves change colors, the crisp and cool air, the shorter days and it’s also nice to be able to sleep at night without sweating (I know, too much information). I’ll be honest though, my favorite seasons are spring and autumn. Summer is too hot and winter is too cold – at least here in the Chicago area. Spring and autumn is when real change happens and we can see it all around us.

Also, as we approach December, it will mark 3 years of Brad’s Reader! I started this blog as hobby to express my opinions about literature and writing, and since then, the blog has grown and evolved in ways I never imagined. But I’ll discuss that more once December is here.

In the meantime, it’s Friday, and you all know what that means. Have a happy and safe weekend!

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Today as I was driving to run an errand it hit me that slowing down in life, not just while driving, can really help your writing. You are probably thinking “Brad has finally lost it.” Well that might be true, but here’s the premise of what I was thinking: By slowing down, you notice your surroundings more. You notice little details that you’d otherwise miss. And your brain has a chance to process all this information because you’re not running around like a maniac trying to do 20 things at once.

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I finished reading Dan Brown’s long awaited novel The Lost Symbol (aff link) last night and thought I’d write a review. Actually, this isn’t really a review, it’s just a few thoughts I have about the novel and wanted to share with all of you. The novel is entertaining. I didn’t expect it to be high-brow literature when I purchased it at my local bookstore, so I didn’t feel disappointed in that regard.

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One of my biggest weaknesses is writing dialogue. A lot of times, my characters ramble on about nothing and I end up cutting a lot of dialogue out while editing. So I decided to read up on how to write better dialogue so I can improve this very important element of fiction. Here’s a little of what I learned.

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I’ve been reading Dan Brown’s newest book The Lost Symbol (aff link) since it was released on Tuesday. When I bought the book at my local bookstore, I knew it wasn’t going to be a great literary achievement and I had no expectations of being enlightened. I bought the book to be entertained.

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Sometimes I forget that just because I love ebooks so much, doesn’t mean that everyone does. In fact, there are still a lot of people out there who don’t like anything about ebooks. And some will even go so far to say that ebooks will be the downfall of authors and literature alike.

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Friday is here! I don’t know about where you are, but in the Chicago area, it is a bright, sunny, crisp morning. I’m drinking enough coffee to keep myself wired for the rest of the day and my head is swimming with ideas. One of those ideas will be coming to fruition within the next week or two, and you’ll see it right here on Brad’s Reader. So stay tuned.

Today’s Link Love post features an eclectic mix of good reading from other websites and blogs. Take a break from your busy day, do some reading, and have a happy and safe weekend!

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