Brad's Reader » Misc.

Big changes coming in my life – posting fequency to slow down

Brad Vertrees — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 17:23:28 +0000

I generally don’t talk a lot about my personal life on Brad’s Reader because I don’t want to bore you with the mundane details of my life. But there is something I feel the need to share.

There is a big change coming my way. My wife is pregnant with our first child. It’s a boy! The name is being kept under wraps until he’s born – which can be any day now. She is full-term (and very uncomfortable) so we are just playing the waiting game.

Once our little bundle of joy enters the world, I’m not sure what my posting frequency will be like. Obviously, our baby takes priority over everything else. If I have a spare moment, and not completely exhausted, then I’ll try to fit a post or two in. I just can’t promise anything.

Rest assured that Brad’s Reader is not going anywhere. Think of this as a temporary sabbatical.

However, you should still be able to keep up with me and my musings on literature, ebooks, publishing, writing and so forth on Twitter. If you’re not following me yet, now is the perfect time.

Richard Branson: Taking risks and learning from your mistakes

Brad Vertrees — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:00:09 +0000

Writers, by nature, are risk takers. We sweat and toil over our writing, with no guarantee of success. There are a lot of writers who will spend a year or more writing a novel that will never get published. It’s the nature of the beast.

I think the risk of failure is the biggest obstacle many budding writers face. I know I struggle with this every time I open up my word processor. But what is more important than taking risks is that if you don’t succeed, you learn from your mistakes and try again.

One of the biggest risk-takers is Sir Richard Branson who started a small company called Virgin Records and eventually expanded it into an airline, mobile phone service and dozens of other businesses. Branson has also risked his life (literally) in other ways, such as attempting to circle the world in a balloon. He’s been plucked from the ocean for several rescues.

I recently read a post he wrote on his blog where he talks about learning from your mistakes. While this post concerns business (especially for entrepreneurs) it can easily be applied to writers, bloggers and other creatives. In part, here’s what Branson says about failing an endeavor:

One of the reasons Virgin’s enterprises have been successful over the years is that we empower the staff to make mistakes— and then learn from them.

He then goes on to say:

This ability to bounce back after a setback is the single most important trait an entrepreneurial venture can possess. If innovation is at the heart of your business, obstacles come with the territory. How you react to and navigate those hurdles will make the difference between failure and success.

There is no doubt that Virgin is a successful company. But even Virgin has had its ups and downs. Virgin Atlantic Airways almost went under because of some dirty tricks play by British Airways. Branson eventually saved his airline by selling off the record company. It was a big risk that really paid off because he was able to save the airline and expand it to the worldwide carrier we know today.

Richard Branson has also seen his share of failures. Here are just a few of Virgin’s ventures that didn’t quite work out:

Virgin Cola
Virgin Money
Virgin Vodka
Virgin Rail
Virgin Brides
Virgin Cars

I’ve probably missed a few in there. Even after all these failures, Branson kept going. He’s still successful because he learns from these failures and doesn’t give up.

So if you’re a writer and fail at one project, learn from it and move on. Giving up means accepting defeat. Learn not to be afraid of failure (easier said than done, I know):

I suppose the secret to bouncing back is to be unafraid of failure. Setbacks are discouraging, but you should always try to channel that feeling into positive action.

I hate to say it but failure is a part of life. There’s no escaping it. What sets successful people apart is that they don’t get discouraged by failure, learn from their mistakes and move on. So if that novel/blog/short story/start-up has failed, keep going. It will eventually pay big dividends.

Books, Music and Memories

Brad Vertrees — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:18:48 +0000

Some of my most vivid and pleasant childhood memories are from the books I read. I can easily remember characters, plot details and even the setting of a lot of books.

I think this has a lot do with the brain being actively engaged in the reading, therefore being “burned” into your memory bank forever. Television, on the other hand, is a passive activity where the use of your own imagination is severely limited.

Music is also a lot like reading. I associate different phases of my life with the music I listened to at the time. For example, my college years are painted with the gritty music of the Grateful Dead.

With music, I can bring up vivid memories just by thinking of a particular song. Depending on the memory, this can be either good or bad.

My guess is that music also actively engages the brain in the same way reading does. However, this doesn’t account for “passive listening” during which music is just playing in the background. But when we actively listen to a song, our brain becomes instantly tuned in and the imagination clicks into high gear.

Can we engage in music and reading at the same time? Personally, I cannot. I need a quiet atmosphere to read. But even when used as separate activities, music and reading can create new memories that will last a lifetime.

Listen to me on Conversations LIVE! radio tonight at 8pm EST

Brad Vertrees — Thu, 20 May 2010 19:49:17 +0000

I just wanted to post a quick announcement that I will be a guest on the show Conversations LIVE! with Cyrus Webb tonight at 8pm EST. The topic will be ‘The Business of Books.”

Other guests on tonight’s program include authors Zetta Elliot and Christopher Hertz, Todd Rutherford of Yorkshire Publishing and book reviewer Joe Pinkney. This is a great lineup of guests from across the publishing world and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

You can also join the conversation through chat by following this link The Business of Books, or by calling in at 347.426.3645.

And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for updates, interesting links and more.

Book Cover Fail!

Brad Vertrees — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:01:03 +0000

Look closely at the cover of this book that is listed on Amazon.com. Does anything strike you as odd? Yes, the “iStockPhoto” watermark is still on the cover image. This is a good example of why authors and publishers need to pay attention to detail, especially on the front cover! I’d say leaving the watermark on the cover image is a pretty big detail.

Having the watermark still on the cover image means that either A) They didn’t pay for the image, or B) They paid for the image but didn’t swap out the sample image for the paid one – the image without the watermark. Either way, it’s still a book cover fail!

This link was sent to me via the Photoshop Disasters website. Or, you can have a good laugh and check it out for yourself on Amazon.

I wonder how long it will take Amazon to realize this blunder and get a cover image without the watermark. Hopefully soon, as I can’t see this little oversight helping sales of an already-obscure book.

Found: One short story I wrote when I was 12

Brad Vertrees — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:35:43 +0000

After my grandmother passed away last December, my mom and her brother and sister have been going through her house to get her belongings sorted out. Among those items was a short story I wrote when I was 12, around the time I was in the 7th grade (about 1992). I sent it to my grandparents and they had apparently filed it away for all these years.

I don’t remember writing this specific short story, but I remember it being an assignment for my creative writing class. We had to read them in front of the class – which was probably the worst part. The only other memory I have of this story is was received pretty well by my classmates and my creative writing teacher.

From all my years writing fiction, this short story is probably the oldest that has been saved. Today I scanned the pages into my computer as a PDF file and I’m considering posting the file here on Brad’s Reader for all to read. Therefore, I’m not going to give away the title or plot just yet. But as my wife kindly pointed out, the story’s plot has a lot in common with an old movie that was released around the same time.

Have you ever stumbled upon something you’ve written during your childhood? Was your writing juvenile and riddled with mistakes, or were you a budding Shakespeare? Either way, leave a comment and share your experience.

Every writer needs a writing buddy, even if that buddy is a cat

Brad Vertrees — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 16:03:46 +0000

Writers can be a lonely bunch, which is why every writer needs a writing buddy. Mine just happens to be my cat, Kirby. This morning she made herself comfortable on my desk, behind my computer – trying to catch a few rays of sunshine coming in through the window.

What you don’t see in this picture is Kirby sniffing at everything on my desk (my writing tools must smell good) and batting at my pens, paperclips and anything else that’s easy for her paws to move. She also has a habit of biting at, and even eating paper, if it’s handy to do so.

Okay, maybe she’s not the perfect writing buddy, but she does keep me company and definitely keeps me amused as I work through the day’s business.

Who is your writing buddy?

Exercise your way to increased creativity and better writing

Brad Vertrees — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:55:02 +0000

Last week I wrote a post Meditate your way to better writing where I talked about how meditation can quiet the mind and give your brain a “rest.” I argued that when the mind is emptied out of all the distractions that life throws at us, it makes room to be more creative and improve your writing.

I’m continuing this theme of healthy ways to better writing (a theme I did not plan ahead of time, it just kinda happened) by talking about exercise and how it can have a positive impact on your creativity and writing. Exercise is obviously one of the most healthy activities one can pursue as it helps keep you in shape and reduces the risk of a lot of diseases.

Exercise and the brain

Most people think of exercise as only helping the body (as I talked about above). But staying active also has a positive impact on the brain. In fact, exercise can do everything from reduce depression to helping you feel more alert. I found an article from the website Medicine.net called Train you Brain with Exercise:

“I like to say that exercise is like taking a little Prozac or a little Ritalin at just the right moment,” says John J. Ratey, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of A User’s Guide to the Brain. “Exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being.”

Christin Anderson, wellness and fitness coordinator at the University of San Francisco goes on to say:

“When one exercises,” Anderson says, “you can think more clearly, perform better, and your morale is better. This is pure science — stimulate your nervous system and function at a higher level.”

Thinking clearly. Improved performance. Increased morale. All of these can have a positive impact on your writing. Just being able to think clearly will help you in terms of organizing your writing, structure, ideas, editing and so forth. For example, if you’re writing a novel, being able to think clearly could help you organize your plot and create more rounded characters.

The good part about exercise is that it really doesn’t take all that much to reap its benefits. The article states that working out (whether it’s running, walking, swimming, etc. for 30 minutes 3 times per week is enough to keep your brain in top shape. Of course, the more you exercise the more benefits.

Exercise as a creative boost

People who exercise regularly often report a ‘meditative’ aspect to their fitness routines. As I wrote in a previous post, meditation and meditative-like states can really increase your creativity and improve writing. Furthermore, when one feels that sense of well-being and euphoria, stress and other worries seem to fade away, giving your brain a chance to focus on other things.

From my own experience with exercise, after I’m finished with a workout, I really do have more energy and feel ready to tackle any writing project – often with a fresh perspective. The only problem I have is keeping a regular exercise schedule.

No drugs needed!

There is a general stereotype about creative people that they often use drugs to enhance their art. While this might apply in the short-term, in the long run, people who use drugs to increase their creativity are only hurting themselves. How many famous artists, musicians and writers have died from complications of drug use? Quite a few. This goes without saying, but it’s hard to be creative when you’re dead.

The cool part about meditation and exercise is that the benefits increase over time by improving your health. A side-effect of drugs is that you need more and more of the drug to get the same results. With meditation and exercise, that doesn’t happen. And if it does, it’s only benefiting you.

Do you exercise on a regular basis? Has it improved your writing or other creative endeavors? Leave a comment below and share your experience.

How to stay updated on publishing, ebooks, literature and everything else

Brad Vertrees — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 04:57:22 +0000

I know a lot of my readers on this blog are interested in ebooks, publishing news, self-publishing, writing and so forth. How do you keep up with all these topics without spending all day searching the interwebs. Of course Google is probably the first place you’ll search. But Google has tools that will allow you to stay current on just about any topic without wasting a lot of time.

When I first began Brad’s Reader, my main focus was on literature and writing. Since the world of literature is so big, I needed a way to see all the important bits of news and related blog posts at-a-glance. What did I use? I created a Google Alert using the search term “literary news”.

Every day (usually in the morning) I get an email in my inbox entitled “literary news” that has a comprehensive list of links related to literature. These include links to news stories, blogs and even current literary events like book fairs. In fact, I have received a lot of blog post ideas from that one Google Alert.

Now that Brad’s Reader has expanded into the world of ebooks and self-publishing, I created a Google Alert for those respective search terms as well. Bang! All relevant news and information in my inbox each day. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

A few easy tips

Setting up a Google Alert is easy. Just enter in a search term, decide if you want a comprehensive, news, blog, web, video or clips alert. I use comprehensive, as it includes everything in the email. Then select how often you want your alerts to be sent to you. I always choose daily. But you have a choice between daily, weekly, and as-it-happens (this one can fill up your inbox fast). After that, select the length of your alert email. You can choose between 20 and 50 results (I keep mine limited to 20 to make scanning the email much easier).

Finally, select the email you want your alert to be delivered to. This is a lot easier if you have a Gmail account – then you can manage everything all in one place without logging in and out of multiple accounts. I use one account for my Gmail, Google Reader, News, Google Alerts and Notebooks. Keep it simple.

The sky is the limit to what your alert can be. Here are a few suggestions for you regular readers of this blog:

Literary news
Self publishing
ebooks
Your favorite author
A specific publisher/e-retailer (great to keep track of the current Amazon v. Macmillan feud)
publishing news
fill-in-your-own-preference-here

Google Alerts are a great way to stay informed about your topic of choice without spending countless hours scouring the web for important information. For me, this has been an invaluable tool and has really helped me grow Brad’s Reader. I hope Google Alerts can help you too.

Update 2/7: In a bit of irony, when I got my Google Alert for ‘literary news’ this morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see this very post listed under the blog section:

Keeping up with the world of publishing & ebooks | Brad’s Reader
By Brad Vertrees
Since the world of literature is so big, I needed a way to see all the
important bits of news and related blog posts at-a-glance. What did I use?
I created a Google Alert using the search term “literary news”. …
<http://www.bradsreader.com/2010/02/keeping-up-with-the-world-of-publishing-ebooks/>
Brad’s Reader
<http://www.bradsreader.com/>

Traveling and Ebooks

Brad Vertrees — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 05:39:49 +0000

I just returned from spending a few days in San Diego on family business (hence my lack of posts this week). While my reason for going there was quite sad, it was nice to get away from the cold Chicago winter and spend some time in the warm California sun and visit with my extended family.

There are a two bits I wanted to share with you regarding my trip, both dealing with ebooks.

First, I noticed on this trip, more than any other, the growing number of people with ebook readers. On one flight, I sat next to a woman reading a Kindle. She told me she loves it and reads more now than before she got the device. I saw a Sony Reader on another flight and a few more people with Kindles in the waiting areas at the different airports I stopped at.

I found it very pleasing to see so many people reading ebooks. Even a year or so ago I never saw anyone with any type of ebook reading device (not counting an iPhone/iPod Touch). Ebooks have come a long way in the last year and I know they will go even further in 2010.

Finally, I did not take my Sony Reader Pocket Edition with me. It’s a long story, but it basically boils down to Sony’s crappy Reader software they force you to download onto your computer. At the last minute, before jumping into the cab to go to the airport, I grabbed a paperback (aff link) from the stack on my bookshelf.

On a side note, I did bring my iPhone which worked great to keep up with email, moderate blog comments, read the news, Twitter, Facebook and so forth. I didn’t read any ebooks, but it was certainly an option. For over two years my iPhone has been a trusty traveling companion. And yes, I still use my first generation iPhone, old school!

Now that I have returned home I will be back to my regular posting schedule. Stay tuned…

Brad's Reader » Misc.

Big changes coming in my life – posting fequency to slow down

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No drugs needed!

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How to stay updated on publishing, ebooks, literature and everything else

A few easy tips

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Traveling and Ebooks

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