Brad's Reader » Link Love

Friday Link Love 3/12

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:18:56 +0000

Last night the first thunderstorm of 2010 whipped through the Chicago area. I loved it! One of my favorite parts of spring and summer is thunderstorms. They are especially cool during the summer, when it’s warm outside and you can see the dark clouds rolling in. Thunderstorms are one of those simple joys that make life a little more bearable.

Weather aside, this has been another busy week. It seems like I’m either really busy or bored to death. There is no comfortable median between the two. But I can’t complain because I really love all the writing projects that keep my so busy. I’m very lucky to be able to do something I love.

I’m going to leave things short and simple today. As always, have a happy and safe weekend.

Ebooks

Barnes & Noble to bundle print and ebooks

Don’t believe ebook skeptics

New survey shows iPad may be an ebook winner

Writing

Web apps for fiction writers

15 Lessons from the Masters

Books/Literature

America’s 40 Worst Books. ‘Gatsby’? Really?

Poets: Maya Angelou

A psychological biography of Dr. Seuss

Literary festival to celebrate ‘feel of Spring’

Publishing/Self-Publishing

Finding agents and publishers

How self-publishing can lead to a real book deal

Internet/Technology

Why Google keeps your data forever, tracks you with ads

Amazon kills affiliate program in Colorado thanks to taxes

Inspiration

Happiness, Backwards

Everything Else

Sausage stylus comes to the US

Man marries body pillow girlfriend in Korea

Random Post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 3/5

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:37:57 +0000

So this what the sun and sky look like! I’m sitting at my desk looking out the window and it’s a clear day with a deep blue sky and a bright sun. Spring must be just around the corner. Don’t get me wrong, I love the winter and a fresh blanket of snow on the ground, but after several months of it, I’m ready for a change.

As you can see below, I’m back to publishing Friday Link Love in the new, easier to read format. I hope this makes your weekend reading a little more pleasant. And speaking of weekends, make it a happy and safe one.

Ebooks

Publish ebooks on iPhone and iPod Touch in 3 simple steps

Cory Doctorow on Amazon, Macmillan, and ebook pricing

Has Sony lost its way?

Penguin betting big on interactive eBook content for Apple’s iPad

Self-Publishing

Top 5 myths about self-publishing

Writing

10 Writing rules you can’t break…And how to break them

How to write about the adult movie industry

What writing and lying have in common

How the writing stops

Books/Literature/Reading

Why world book day matters more than ever

‘Alice in Wonderland’: Curious and curiouser

Everything Else

Physicists look for the arrow of time, biologists find it

The little guide to inspiration

Random Post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 2/26

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:46:53 +0000

I had another busy week, and it looks like things may remain busy for the foreseeable future. Don’t worry, however, because I just need to find a system to get everything done in a timely manner (writing projects, blog posts, etc.). Once that happens, my blogging will be back to normal. If anyone out there has any suggestions to better time management, I’m all ears.

That’s really all I have right now. 2010 is clipping along at a fast pace – February is almost over and March is almost here. I hope March brings sunnier skies, warmer weather and less snow (for those of us in Chicago).

As always, have a happy and safe weekend.

Why you should steal from other authors

Authors love their publishers

Self publishing a book has become the new business card

New tools for a new writing world

Disconnect your cable and create more time (A great post from my own brother, Brian Vertrees!)

Publishing is dead. Long live literary fiction publishing

The boom in printing on demand

Are your working hours jeopardizing your productivity

Ebooks: It’s not the medium, it’s the message

Almost one third of Texans believe “The Flinstones” showed real life

Random Post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 1/12

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:44:23 +0000

I’ve decided to re-design Friday Link Love for easier reading. Instead of just randomly placing links in a long list down the page, the links will be divided by category. Hopefully this will make it easier for you to find something interesting to read. Let me know what you think of this new design. I’m always looking for ways to improve how things are done on Brad’s Reader.

With that said, there’s not much else to report. As always, have a happy and safe weekend.

Ebooks

What price ebooks?

An opinion on e-readers

Speaking about ebooks at San Francisco Writers Conference with Dan Poynter

In protest of e-readers, CoverSpy tweets what New Yorkers read on the train

Author claims $9.99 is not a ‘real price’ for books

Writing

A writer’s greatest tool: The smartphone

Editing Relief

Ask the editor: Tips for blending backstory

A messy, liberating guide to journal writing

Publishing/Self-Publishing

Leading self-publishing company makes case for previously published authors

Self-publishing drafts can help editing process

Authors self-publishing in larger numbers

Inspiration

Stillness is a powerful action

Internet/Technology

FBI Director Robert Mueller wants ISPs to log visited websites

Is reading blog posts worth your time?

Everything Else

Toledo strip club gives “lap dances for Haiti”

Random Post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 2/5

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:29:51 +0000

This week has been busy. I’ve really stepped up my marketing efforts for my freelance writing business. In order to keep a steady stream of clients coming in, it takes constant marketing. This might seem obvious. But a lot of freelancers fall into the trap of only marketing when they have no clients. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Freelancing aside, I’ve also been busy with various other writing projects. Some are long-term others will come to fruition a lot sooner.

That’s it for today. I’m keeping the intro to this week’s Friday Link Love short and sweet. Enjoy these links and, as always, have a happy and safe weekend.

History in fiction

Things publishers will do to kill ebooks

Selling paper

Internet uprising overturns Australian censorship law

Are you using setting to deepen your characters?

Genius and hypochondria

A change in opinion about self-publishing

Data recovery after the end of the world

How not to hurry

The iPad and ebooks: A missed opportunity

Who will save us?

A music exec’s take on the Macmillan/Amazon throwdown

Annual bean-throwing festival in Japan

Get in the habit of writing every day

Hatchette to adopt agency model for publishing

Science fiction or reality: When do the machines take over?

Friday Link Love 1/29

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:53:01 +0000

The big news this week is Apple’s unveiling of their new iPad tablet. The Apple tablet has long been rumored and speculation about its features, looks and technical specs have been flying around the web for at least a year or two. Now that the iPad has arrived, people are taking a step back to see if it will live up to all that early hype.

I’m not going to be ordering an iPad anytime soon. Between my 1st gen iPhone and Sony Pocket Edition, I’m good to go in the gadget department. Also, I don’t quite have the funds right now. Maybe in a few years when the price has come down.

The other news rocking the literary world this week is the death of a great American writer, J.D. Salinger, known best for his novel Catcher in the Rye. It’s still January and we’ve already seen the death of Salinger and mystery writer Robert B. Parker. I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come in 2010.

The good news today is that it’s Friday! As always, have a safe and happy weekend.

Podcast: Self-publishing, your questions answered with indie author April Hamilton

Aaar! A book pirate speaks

Booty call

Does time dilate during a threatening situation?

Top 6 writing whines

A is for Amazon, B is for Best Buy

Why write a book?

The last days of Philip K. Dick

Don’t drink, drive, kill someone, drink, post on Facebook

Steve Almond’s self-publishing adventure

The iPad’s name makes some women cringe

Random Post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 1/22

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:15:55 +0000

This has been a sad week for 2 reasons: The humanitarian crisis in Haiti continues to get worse as the death toll keeps rising, and the death of famed mystery writer Robert B. Parker.

In other news, I’m finally starting to get my voice back after coming down with a horrible cold. The worst part about this cold, however, has been the insomnia that has accompanied it. Not very fun at all. I guess it’s that time of year. But I can still be thankful that my overall health is still very good (knock on wood).

Without further delay, here is this week’s installment of Friday Link Love. Hopefully this will provide you with some good reading this weekend, especially if you’re having cold and miserable weather in your neck of the woods. As always, have a happy and safe weekend.

Three ways to get a rush from your writing

Blog blocked

Using your iPhone in the city? Be careful!

The predictive power of book reviews

The 45 million year old beer (a great blog post from my great brother, Brian Vertrees!)

Ebook readers are biggest consumers of new media, says new survey

Are you called to be a writer?

2010: Year of the ebook

The true economic value of the internet? Lots of people

Who has the best writing ideas?

What you need to know before starting a new habit

Amazon’s new royalty structure

Random post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 1/15

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:34:56 +0000

With the massive earthquake in Haiti it has been a sad week. The devastation and loss of life are on an unimaginable scale. Events like this really put my life in perspective. It’s hard to complain about anything right now in my own life knowing that millions of Haitians have lost everything, including loved ones. And to add insult to injury, their basic needs like water, food and shelter are not even being met.

That said, I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. Remember, whatever your problems are right now, they probably can’t compare to the problems the people in Haiti are going through right now. I’m not trying to minimize anyone’s problems, as I’m sure some people are going through really difficult times. Keep your head up and keep plugging away.

The unvanquishable book pile

Beginner’s Guide to Calibre

The moral act of writing

NASA Discovers Cocaine in Hanger Near Space Shuttle

Writing resources for naming your characters

The lesson from two lemonade stands

Kindle Vs. Nook: My Experience

The scam of private label articles

The key to marketing your book: Time well spent

On E, steam-powered cars – and maybe the first holographic book

Random Post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 1/8/2010

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:00:36 +0000

I’m already sick of winter. The Chicago area got pounded with another snowstorm today and I had the pleasure of driving in it a 6am. Not fun. I only like snowstorms if I can stay inside where it’s warm and dry and watch it through the window while reading a good book.

On the ebook front, I was actually kind of frustrated this week. I downloaded 1001 Arabian Nights to load onto my Sony Reader Pocket Edition, but Calibre wouldn’t take it. I kept getting a meta-data error. I even tried downloading the book from different sources. No luck. And I even have the latest edition of Calibre installed.

The important thing, though, is that the weekend is here and most of us can take a much-deserved break. As always, have a safe and happy weekend.

10 Habits of successful authors

The ABCs of e-book format conversion: Easy Calibre tips for the Kindle, Sony and Nook

Profiling with courage

Are ebooks the next generation of pocket books?

The never-ending chick lit debate by Claire Allan

5 Great ways to conquer self-doubt

Inventions for writers

B&N: Nook production will catch up with demand ‘in next few months’

The other side of the long tail

How to write every day

Mile-high reading

Random Post from Brad’s Reader

Friday Link Love 1/1/2010 (Late Edition)

Brad Vertrees — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 04:23:41 +0000

Welcome to the first 2010 installment of Friday Link Love. I can’t believe it is another new year and another new decade. The last 10 years have really flown by. I’m looking forward to bringing Brad’s Reader into the new decade at full steam. I have a lot of plans for this blog in the coming 12 months, so you’ll have to keep coming back to see what’s new.

This week’s link love is shorter than usual due to such a hectic week. Everything will settle down and you can get your fill of links in the weeks ahead. My posts have been sparse because of the holidays and that will also change. Nevertheless, these are all great links I know you’ll love.

Have a happy and very safe weekend.

Creative writing ideas in the news

Book buyers need to know, like and trust you in order to buy

How to destroy writer’s block and unleash your creativity

11 Killer chapter breaks

Gay marriage killed the dinosaurs

It’s not the rats you need to worry about

Smashwords year in review, plans for 2010

Present-day North American mass extinction?

Are you protecting yourself with new writing clients?

Random post from Brad’s Reader