Wildbound's Weekly Breeze 1/26/18
BOOK INDUSTRY NEWSWallmart, Apple and Google gang up against AmazonIf there ever was a prize fight, this is it! Some of the world's biggest companies are conspiring to edge Amazon out of the Ebook and audiobook market. Read the latest on USA Today.Why It's Time To Bury the "Woe is Me Writer Grudge"In her recent Publishers Weekly article, book guru Jane Friedman explains why "It does little good for writers to complain to their readers or to the industry that their writing isn’t properly valued. " She cites several examples of success stories of writers who have made their money back by giving content away for free instead of being too overprotective for fear of losing potential sales. We think she's right.The Great American Read - New PBS DocumentaryPBS is launching The Great American Read, a new eight-part television series and nationwide campaign that explores the joy of books and the power of reading, told through the prism of America’s 100 best-loved books, chosen by the public. Sounds pretty cool if you ask us. Gotta love PBS.
USELESS FACT TO IMPRESS YOUR FRIEND(S)More people are killed every year by falling coconuts than they are by sharks.
BOOK PROMOTION TIPDo judge a book by its cover. Puh-lease! This is not the time to try out your budding design skills or cut costs. Hire a cover designer. A great cover design can have a major impact on your sales numbers while a bad cover design just plain sucks.
WEEKLY $10 GIVEAWAYThis Week's Writing Challenge:Provide a caption for the photo and email it to info@wildboundpr.com. Winner will be announced in next week's Weekly Breeze!
The winner of last week's writing challenge is Carmen Hendrix. Thanks Carmen for your awesome yarn, spun off "There are two kinds of people in this world," my companion slurred, pausing to take another artless swig. "Those who ______ and those who _______." Here's the piece:
“There are two kinds of people in this world,” my companion slurred, pausing to take another artless swig. “Those who lie and those who don’t.” Frankly, the ones who don’t are far and few between and those who lie, do so for a reason. Either way, I couldn’t understand why he had his trousers in a wad because he’d learned the truth. My gut tells me that he already knew he was about to get screwed at his company. No manager can tell you that your job is safe, especially when they are worried about their own. After they fired him with only a few days’ notice, there was no recompense.
In his drunken stupor, he said he didn’t want an apology, but he really did. After dedicating thirty years of his life to the company, they hung him out to dry like old socks that no one would ever wear again. Maybe that is why he was drowning his sorrows in the bottom of his glass. He let out a deep sigh, and the smell of liquor on his breath was so strong, it reached out and tied the hairs in my nostrils. I had to sit back and regroup while going through my thoughts.
Unable to find consoling words, I offered him an aspirin powder for later and politely said, “Losing you was a great loss to that company. What’s your game plan?” After a few moments, he looked up at me and smiled. It was a bright smile, like a light bulb had just turned on inside his head. He slammed his cup down on the counter top and asked me for something on which to write. I motioned to the barkeep, asking for pen and paper to oblige him. His eyes lit up as he began writing, and I waited anxiously for him to finish scribbling. Finally, he looked up at me, sliding the paper in my direction. It was a plan to enter the building from an unmanned entrance and kill everyone in management at his old job, starting from the top. I could see the serious look in his eyes as I shook my head slowly. “You can’t be serious,” I whispered before walking away. Somehow, I knew he truly was and it frightened me. “You can’t do this,” I said as I ripped the paper into tiny pieces, “You need to sleep this off.” I eyed him cautiously then called his wife, telling her about his diabolical plan and asked her to pick him up. I looked him over again before telling him that his wife was on the way. Tears filled my eyes as flashes of innocent people dying filled my mind. I got in my car and headed towards the police station.
Write on.WILDBOUND PR