Audio-visual Resources Expand Understanding of Google Book Search Settlement
August 24, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Association of American Publishers, Authors Guild, Copyright, Google SettlementYes, it’s me again sharing information on the Google Settlement!
Much has been written about the Google Book Search Settlement. For those who want a better understanding of the Settlement but are a bit print-weary, audio-visual resources have become available in recent weeks that can clarify and expand that understanding.
For a general overview of Google Books and the Settlement on YouTube click here .
For a better understanding of the role of the Settlement in leveling the educational playing field for minority students and students with disabilities click here
For a discussion of what the Settlement means for publishers click here. There’s information on a webinar below as well.
I have to note that I do get irritated at those that trumpet “all content should be free.” Hey, I’m sure we’d all like everything to be free! But if someone started announcing that all lawyers should work for free, or all milk should be free, we’d see the absurdity of that statement! Why can’t they acknowledge the same value for Intellectual Property (IP) or the written material many sweat blood to create.
But there’s also a recent Webinar hosted by Publisher’s Weekly you can access. Go to www.PublishersWeekly.com, click on “Tools” to the far right of the top navibar, then Webcasts and register for the webcast:
Google Library Project Settlement: What It Means for Publishers (or just click on the link!).
You will be able to access the webcast archive for one year following the initial webcast.
Description of the Webinar:
In a webinar first, the leaders involved with the crafting of the Google Library Project Settlement will share with the publishing industry the benefits of the agreement for publishers and authors. If approved by the Court in October, the agreement will create one of the most far-reaching intellectual, cultural, and commercial platforms for access to digital books for the reading public, while granting publishers unprecedented opportunities and protections. Presented in collaboration with Google, The Association of American Publishers, and Publishers Weekly, the web session is a must-attend event.
PANELISTS
Richard Sarnoff, Co-Chair, Bertelsmann, Inc., AAP Board of Directors
John Sargent, Chief Executive Officer, Macmillan, AAP Board of Directors
Jan Constantine, General Counsel, Author’s Guild
James Gleick, Author
Michael Healy, Executive Director Designate, Book Rights Registry
MODERATOR
Jim Milliot, News Director, Publishers Weekly
Come on Down and Join the Fun
August 19, 2009 by Marianne H. Donley in category Archives tagged as Member At Large, Monica StonerMonica Stoner, member at large
The time is NOW to make space in your schedule for the LERA conference. Afterwards we can introduce you to green chilis, the most perfect food in the world.
2009 LERA Write From The Heart Conference
Come join LERA, Dianna Love, and Mary Buckham (with special guest Sherrilyn Kenyon) as they present their innovative, day long workshop:
From Thought To Plot
This interactive workshop will be held on Saturday, November 14th, from 8:30 to 5:00 at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center,2401 12th St. NW Albuquerque, NM, just five minutes from Old Town Albuquerque.
Book signing after the conference: location TBA. Authors will include Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, and Mary Buckham!
Monica K Stoner
tsent@ix.netcom.com
Just Sucking the Pavement
August 18, 2009 by Marianne H. Donley in category Archives
My daughter loved all kinds of critters as a child. She loved toads and lizards, often thinking they were her very own pets. When she was four, our area had an infestation of caterpillars. They were everywhere—on the roads, the outside walls of the house, and everywhere on the ground. My daughter delighted in the abundance of new “pets†at her house.
One afternoon, my husband and I noticed our daughter being quiet on the back steps. The sight of our whirling dervish sitting still had us both heading outside to see what she was up to. As we listened through the door, we could hear her low soothing tone as she talked. On the step next to her was a caterpillar that had seen better days. The poor thing was dead, but our daughter continued to stroke it and talk to him as if they were best friends.
When we stepped out, our daughter looked up with excitement, eager to show us her friend. As we tried to convince her to leave the dead caterpillar alone, she became upset. Finally, after my husband told her the caterpillar was dead, she narrowed her eyes, and said, “It’s not dead, it’s just sucking the pavement.â€
I am sad to report that I have some caterpillars “just sucking the pavement†in my book files. These are story ideas that I love, but they’ve never interested a publisher. I talk to the characters, polish again, and send them off to another publisher to no avail.
I am not alone in this. I’ve judged many contests for unpublished authors in the last few years. I can’t count the times I’ve seen a mediocre story appear time after time with very little improvement. The author refuses to put aside the stale manuscript in favor of something new and fresh, with life in it.
The memory escapes me of how we distracted our daughter so the caterpillar could conveniently disappear. We probably distracted her with a cuddly kitten that she would love. It wasn’t easy, since she was so determined, but we accomplished the feat. As an author, I’ve found it difficult to let go of those ideas that weren’t as appealing to others as they were to me, but I’ve persevered. I’m determined to trade in those dead “pets†for ones that are full of life and bring excitement to the page. No more “just sucking the pavement†for me.
e-maginings: What Is Erotic Romance?
August 16, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as definition, e-maginings, erotic romance, Lyndi Lamont
There seems to be a lot of different opinions about what constitutes erotic romance, so I thought I’d explore some definitions today. It’s a little more complicated than you might think.
Some believe erotic romance is all sex with no plot, so is it the literary equivalent of a porno flick? In order to answer that, we have to distinguish between erotica and porn. I discovered that the word pornography literally means “writing about prostitutes”, and in the 19th century, it was used for factual reports about prostitution. Erotica, on the other hand, comes from Eros, the Greek god of love. So a literal definition might be that pornography is solely about the lusts of the body, while erotica is about the longings of the heart as well. In practical terms, the definition is always somewhat subjective.
Erotica is a sex story; that means it has a plot with a beginning, a middle and an end. Pornography may or may not have a plot. In fact, I was reading recently that some porn stars are lamenting the fact that they don’t even get dialogue any more!
Generally speaking, erotica differs from erotic romance in that it’s the story of a character’s sexual journey rather than the story of a developing relationship. In erotica the main character may have more than one partner and a happily-ever-after twosome is not guaranteed. However, a HEA threesome is a definite possibility!
Like other romances, erotic romance is a love story and you better believe that your readers will expect that HEA. I got dinged by a reviewer for not providing one for my Revolutionary Way spy story, Seducing The Enemy. While the characters did develop a relationship, they were unable to be together in the end, so technically it was erotica, not erotic romance.
In Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance, Loose Id, LLC, 2007, regarding the difference between sensual and erotic romance, Angela Knight points out, correctly IMO, that what drives sensual romances “isn’t sex, but not having sexâ€. In order to maintain sexual tension between hero and heroine, the writer devises external and internal reasons why going to bed with each other is a bad idea. The actual act of making love often signals a significant drop in sexual tension and the writer then has to find a way to make the conflict kick in again.
So what drives erotic romance?
Obviously, there still have to be reasons why the happily-ever-after ending isn’t guaranteed, despite the fact that they’re having sex at any and every opportunity. Knight refers to this as “romantic tensionâ€. Again, this means strong conflict, especially if you’re writing a full-length novel. I think I prefer to call if “dramatic tension”.
For a little more background, check out this article at my Lyndi Lamont website. And if you’re at all interested in writing erotic romance, I do recommend Knight’s book.
How would you define erotic romance?
Linda / Lyndi
2 0 Read moreBook Trailer: Italian Style
August 11, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Confessions of a Podcast Goddessby Jina Bacarr
Il Profumo del peccato (Sinful Perfume) is the name of my Spice novel, Cleopatra’s Perfume, in Italian. I was very excited to see they used the same cover as my American publisher (Harlequin). Since I had already put together a book trailer in English, I decided to use the same video, podsafe music, still photo, etc.
I love the blurb my Italian publisher wrote, but it was way too long for a one-minute book trailer. So I used what I thought made sense–here is the translation:
“What is hiding in Cleopatra’s Perfume? It all resides in a woman named Eve, a woman reckless, sexy, unleashed, uninhibited, insatiable. Only she can reveal this passionate story with its nonstop erotic scenes…
“Jina Bacarr, author of Passioni di una Geisha (The Blonde Geisha), takes us into a film noirish atmosphere in the year leading up to 1940, enticing us with sensual dreams, spies, secret missions, situations and affairs beyond your wildest imagination.
“Sinful Perfume (Cleopatra’s Perfume): Love, passion, intrigue.â€
Then I recorded the voiceover. I love doing voiceovers (I used to do radio commercials in English and Spanish) and this one was a lot of fun. So here it is, the black and white book trailer in Italian for Il Profumo del peccato. I hope you enjoy it!
Best,
Jina
Jina Bacarr is also the author of The Blonde Geisha , Naughty Paris, Tokyo Rendezvous, a Spice Brief, and Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs, featuring an Indiana Jones in high heels.
Coming in February 2010: The Blonde Samurai “She embraced the way of the samurai. Two swords. Two loves.”
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