Not So Fast, Jonah Lehrer.
Jonah Lehrer (Photo Source: Amazon.com)
Remember the movie Shattered Glass with Hayden Christensen? Ok, ok. We never saw it either. But do you remember the scandal involving The New Republic journalist Stephen Randall Glass who fabricated quotes, sources and articles during his 1995 – 1998 stint with said magazine? Never heard of it? First off, you’re welcome. Secondly, you’re in for a treat because we have yet another journalist who thought he was two steps ahead of his company’s fact checkers. At the end of the day, no matter how entertaining your articles are, if they’re fabricated, they’ll catch up to you.
Up until this past week, Jonah Lehrer was one of the most well paid writers for The New Yorker. But Lehrer experienced a bad case of The Monday’s yesterday when he resigned from his position with the prestigious magazine for making up quotes. And not just any quotes, mind you. He falsified quotes for one of the most closely studied musicians of all time: Bob Dylan. In addition to that, Lehrer was also recycling previously used copy (his own) from his previously published Wall Street Journal essays.
I must say, I quite admire improvisations. But I reserve that for paid performers (actors, comedians, thespians) who have carte blanche from their writers, directors and production studios to do so. Here’s a little advice: Unless your job description outlines the need for fabrications and/or embellishments to company content, we advise you to use your best judgment and save it for a fictional book.
In the name of Merlin – it’s party time!
Happy Birthday to you!
You live in a zoo!
You look like a muggle,
And you smell like one too!
Gulping Gargoyles! My Remembrall is glowing red and I just figured out why: It’s that time of year once again – the day that millions of people worldwide will celebrate by lifting their glasses of Butterbeer: J.K. Rowling’s birthday!
It’s no wonder that Rowling will receive more birthday cards in one day than I ever will in my whole life – She created Harry Potter. Without him, the world would be a sad and lonely place devoid of lightning scars, Quidditch matches, and all those hopeful tweens dreaming that their Hogwarts invitation still might arrive via owl. However, as aspiring writer’s, I think we can all agree that her story is a bit of an inspiration for all of us.
From having just a few Knuts rattling around in her pocket to having millions of Galleons stashed away in her Gringotts’ vault, Rowling’s life is its very own “Rags to Riches” fairytale. But hold your hippogriffs! Her success didn’t happen overnight. Rowling’s manuscript for the first Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) was rejected by twelve publishing houses before finally being picked up by a small publishing house called Bloomsbury. She was even told to find a job because her book wouldn’t make enough money to live off. Further proof that becoming a best selling, successfully published author takes time, patience and perseverance.
Don’t forget, J.K. Rowling isn’t the only one celebrating her birthday today. As the creator of Harry Potter, she decided to give him the same birthday as herself (making me assume she also has trouble remembering important dates). So happy birthday Harry! We wish you all the best and hope, for your sake, that there’s a birthday cake flavored bean in Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.
Harry makes a birthday Patronus
Now grab some floo powder or your nearest portkey and come on down to Diagon Alley to celebrate with us! Or, if you’re stuck at work behind a desk at the Ministry of Magic, just click the link below to join the party! (I encourage you to watch the video more than once as it gains added hilarity over time.)
Wide Blue Yonder by Beth Stafford
If you’re a fan of short stories, then we’ve got one you’re bound to be pleased with. This past June, BookRix indie author Beth Stafford, aka Paper.Planes, brought forth yet another amazing short story, Wide Blue Yonder, that does not disappoint. She currently has 12 completed works and has made quite a name for herself within our BookRix community with her unique point of view and funny YouTube videos. You can check out her channel here.
Her short story, Wide Blue Yonder, documents the day-to-day lives of five ordinary New Yorkers who will collide; they just don’t know it yet. Not only did we enjoy this book, but we were thrilled to see that Beth entered it into our Young Writer of the Year contest. If you’re unfamiliar with this contest, check it out here!
When you’ve finished Wide Blue Yonder, be sure to leave Beth a book comment to let her know your thoughts.
Join Our Fantasy & Science Fiction Group on BookRix!
Today it seems like Fantasy and Science Fiction have taken the literary world by storm. Each genre has become increasingly popular over the years and we couldn’t be more excited about the latest written works by our very own indie BookRix authors. If you’re a fan, come on over and check out our Science Fiction and Fantasy group where likeminded people get together, share their work, give feedback, make recommendation, and talk the talk! We know you’re always looking to get your hands on new material, so why wait? Join now!
Here are some Fantasy/Sci-Fi books from our very own BookRix members. Check them out and let us know what you think!
The Queen Mystique by Serena Axel: “’Come with me. There is something I must tell you about the chair; something you might not believe. Come now.’ What magic does The Queen possess?”
The Forgotten Way by Aaron Redfern: “Two years after the events of The Long Way, Spiff still bears his scars both outside and in. Haunted by his memories, he is compelled to leave the peaceful existence he has known and set out on the second great journey of his life, accompanied by his friend, the Merai girl, Miriel. Together they strike out, knowing only that they travel south–to the end of the world if they must.”
Stories never really end. The Forgotten Way is about what happens after the world is saved and everyone else has gone home.
What If The Mysterious Jane Doe Psycho Made First Contact? By Rob Astor: “Romp through insanity as a crazy woman escapes an asylum and beats the tar out of two little aliens in Halloween costumes walking down a road in the middle of the night. You’ve gotta read it to believe it!”
Book Review of the Week: The Camera by J.C. Laird
As many of you know, I continually cruise through our BookRix library looking for material that grabs me. The Camera by J.C. Laird had been on my reading list for quite some time, but somehow it managed to get lost amidst my check marks and strike throughs. As luck would have it, I found my list today and made some updates, crossing off a few that I’d read and adding a few more titles that I’ll hopefully get to next week. Today was the day for me to check The Camera off my list. And let me tell you, I’m extremely glad I did!
J.C. Laird seamlessly transitions from past to present with a sense of poetic ease. He uniquely pieces together this unique tale of love and loss that playfully tugged at my heart strings from the first sentence. You instantly connect with his main character Justin Solomon and feel the pain that has plagued him since the untimely death of his wife which occurred years prior. You relate to his feeling of loss and understand the difficulty of letting go.
If you’re looking for a great short story that will transport you, mind, body and soul to a moment in time, then I highly recommend reading The Camera by J.C. Laird
$2 Billion Reasons to Self Publish
Photo by: Hipvine.com
You’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as you can remember. You worked endlessly on your novel, slaving away for days, weeks and months, all in an effort to make it perfect. Once written, you break your back editing it. Once, twice, three times. Often a fourth and fifth edit was made (if not more). Blood, sweat and tears went have gone into your masterpiece. Yet its written completion is only the beginning. Hunting down publishing houses, sending out copies of your work while waiting impatiently to hear back? It’s only just begun. But are those final steps necessary?
Today, writers are taking the book writing business into their own hands. And why shouldn’t they? Self Publishing is taking the world by storm and we couldn’t be happier about it. BookStats.org has introduced a comprehensive statistical analysis of how book publishing content is produced and sold. According to their statistics in 2010, eBook sales reached new heights when they produced $869 million dollars in revenue. Those numbers were astonishing then, but nothing prepared us for 2011’s sales numbers which toppled $2 billion. Way to go indie writers! That same year, eBooks represented approximately 15% of trade publishing revenue, which more than doubled their numbers in 2010. Incredible!
If you’re a writer and are looking to publish your work, now is the time. No longer are you at the mercy of traditional publishing houses, begging them to read your work and crossing your fingers that they’ll sign you to a deal. Break the mold! Make your own terms, write your own rules and get paid. Check out BookRix’s self publishing packages here.
