Literature doesn’t have to be just words on a page (or screen). One literary publication is taking literature out of the confines of words and turning it into visual art. Electric Literature, a website I have already profiled here, does just that. They not only publish short fiction in both print and digital form, they visualize the literature they produce.

One of my favorite parts of what Electric Literature does is taking a single sentence from a short story they publish, and then animating it. The result is an illuminating visual interpretation of that one sentence. In a way, the short cartoons (often less than a minute long) represent how one’s imagination would perceive a particular literary “bit.”

Continue Reading

The big news this week, of course, was the release of Apple’s new iPhone 4. The new device is packed full of new features and will bring the smart phone experience to a whole new level. By comparison, my first generation 2G iPhone looks like a dinosaur compared to the iPhone 4.

Also, I want to remind everyone that you are welcome to submit links here for Friday Link Love! I’m looking for some “new blood” to keep this weekly feature fresh and exciting.

That’s all I have for today. As always, have a safe and happy weekend!

Continue Reading

There’s been a lot of excitement for Apple fans this week. With the release of the iPhone 4, Apple has garnered a lot of media attention in the tech world. But another story also got a lot of attention and scrutiny from Apple: CEO Steve Jobs’ assertion that because of the iPad, Apple has eaten up 22% of the ebook market.

That’s a very large chunk. When I see numbers that big I become skeptical. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t doubt that Apple is now cutting a large slice of the ebook market pie. Just how much, though, is up for debate.

Continue Reading

The highly anticipated iPhone 4 was unveiled today. Apple’s newest smartphone is packed with new features, over 100 of them, according to Steve Jobs at this year’s WWDC. When I look at my first generation 2G iPhone and compare it to the features found on the iPhone 4, there really is no comparison. My iPhone feels sluggish. But enough about me, let’s dig into what the iPhone 4 has to offer.

Continue Reading

I’ll confess that I tend to procrastinate. I’ve gotten a lot better over the years, but it’s something I still struggle with. I’ve tried all kinds of lists and anti-procrastinating “techniques” to no avail. However, I am finding one thing that works. Instead of creating list of stuff I need to do, I create a list of accomplishments already done.

To-do lists can be intimidating and at times make getting anything done seem impossible. By creating a list of daily accomplishments, it gives a sense of satisfaction and productivity. This is a bigger motivator than staring at a large to-do list wondering where to start. Just food for thought for all you procrastinators out there.

This week has been a little more hectic than usual, so I apologize for the slim pickings of links. That said, have a happy and safe weekend

Continue Reading

I spend a lot of time writing about the virtues of the ePub format on this blog. But I’ve never gone into detail about what ePub is and why it’s an important ebook format. I realize there are still a lot of newbies joining the ebook world and they may not be familiar with the the basic formats.

To start with, ePub is short for ‘electronic publication’ and is the standard format adopted by the International Digital Publishing Forum. Because ePub is an open-source format, it’s free to use. With the proper technical-knowledge and some basic design skills, anyone can create an ePub formatted ebook using a software program like Adobe InDesign.

Continue Reading

Writing brief messages in 140 characters or less doesn’t seem like much, yet Twitter has built a social networking empire doing just that. I came to Twitter fairly late in the game, after much persuading by some other social-saavy friends/family. The more I use Twitter, the more I wonder: Is this improving my writing?

The most obvious answer, and the one I agree with, is yes, Twitter can improve your writing. You are forced to use words selectively and make you 140 character messages as concise as possible. A lot of writers have a problem of being too wordy. It’s a hard habit to break and writers don’t see it in their own work. They only notice their wordiness when someone points it out to them in a draft.

Continue Reading

Changes are slowly starting to happen here at Brad’s Reader. Nothing big, just small tweaks to reflect a growing blog. I have unveiled a new direct advertising program, where you can advertise on Brad’s Reader for less than $1 a day. I’m also looking for great blog posts about ebooks, writing, publishing and books to link to on my weekly Friday Link Love feature.

Other small changes are still in the pipeline, but I have no definite date for those right now. I’m thrilled that Brad’s Reader has kept growing like it has, considering I started this blog as a way to keep writing about literature after I graduated from college.

At the time, it was just a little side-project, something I tinkered with in my free time. Nowadays, blogging takes up a good chunk of my day.

Enough of my rambling. Have a happy and safe weekend!

Continue Reading

Garrison Keillor is the latest author to slam self-publishing in a recent NYT Op-Ed. His rant is typical of those who hate indie authors who go it alone into the world of self-publishing. And in the same Op-Ed, Keillor manages to take a swipe at modern technology.

I don’t know what it is about self-publishing that drives some people nuts. After all, musicians who skip the large record labels and become “indie” are widely respected and have successfully thrown themselves into the mainstream – with little to no criticism. So why are indie authors seen differently?

Continue Reading

First they said that big-box book retailers like Borders, Barnes & Noble and even Amazon will be the death of the independent bookstore. And to some extent, the prediction has come true. A lot of the indie booksellers have closed shop over the last decade or so.

Now they’re saying that ebooks will be the death of bookstores altogether. After all, who needs to actually go to a physical store when you can just buy an ebook with the click of your mouse?

If Jason Rovito has his way, the indie bookstore could make a comeback not just as a bookstore, but as a collective of booksellers, writers, publishers and writing and reading groups. When indie bookstores were closing down all around, Jason did the unthinkable, he opened up his own store, called Of Swallows, Their Deeds and The Winter Below.

Continue Reading