Santa Monica Library Panel explores Los Angeles as backdrop for story
Yesterday I headed out to attend a panel discussion on “Los Angeles as Literature” at Santa Monica’s beautifully designed modern main library. I was particularly interested in this panel because I have always fallen in love with places. Also, when we write, our setting is so important for flavoring what we get down on the page. After soaking up some sun for a precious five minutes in the library’s courtyard, I wandered inside to meet a fellow writer at the MLK Jr. Auditorium entrance.
David L. Ulin, The Los Angeles Times Book Editor, served as the discussion’s adept moderator. The authors were a fittingly diverse trio. Cecil Castellucci is a young adult writer and the author of Beige. Nina Revoyr is a Japanese-American novelist (The Age of Dreaming). Gary Phillips is the Black writer/creator of the Ivan Monk mystery series (Bangers).
The panelists addressed the author’s job of breaking through the stereotypes of a place to find its real identity. Typical depictions of Los Angeles they identified included the world of Hollywood and an urban gangland. Nina Revoyr pointed out that beyond the stereotypes are so many untold stories. Gary Phillips shared that he was inspired to write about our city because the Los Angeles described in the many mysteries set here was not the place he knew.
Nina noted that one way stereotypes get established is that writers use “shorthand” to tell about a place. One of the favorite LA neighborhoods she has written about is Crenshaw, and this writer wanted to bring out its racial diversity as it is often thought of as a Black neighborhood. The panelists also brought out another reason a place get inaccurately depicted; that is when outsiders take a quick take on a newsstory, and are influenced by the misinformed ideas of the place that they bring with them.
Cecil talked about how her home neighborhood of Silverlake influences her writing, with its spirit as a creative space. This line of thought was reflected in a comment by Gary that a writer must immerse him- or herself in a place and among its people to get an accurate picture. It is not enough to just read about it.
The speakers, including David Ulin, explored LA’s real identity. They noted that since Los Angeles is constantly evolving (like many other places), we must make it a point to re-learn our city if we are to write accurately about it. One aspect that brings about change here is the steady influx of outsiders streaming in to LA. Nina pointed out that this is a young city, still finding its identity. David mentioned how LA finds itself always compared with New York and San Francisco (it seems these comparisons can make us defensive at times as Angelenos). Perhaps our strength is an identity that was spoken of by Nina (which I believe is often true), that this is a place where things happen first… a trend-setting city.
I was left with the impression of a place that is like a mosaic. So many slices of life that themselves have smaller parts and stories within. I was reminded of my early days in Los Angeles when I traveled all over the city to write pieces for the Los Angeles Reader. This served as a good foundation, and enriched me. I want to make a point of continuing to move through many sections of LA. A note of hope for our city that came out of the panel is that a more expansive mass transit system here may make us less neighborhood-centric and more open to the many diverse neighborhoods and people who make up our great city.
P.S. By the way, David Ulin mentioned that most of letters people write about the book pieces in The Los Angeles Times are complaints. If you love books and read The Los Angeles Times, please send positive and appreciative letters about its book coverage to the paper and its book editor.
Best regards,
Robin Quinn
Senior editor/writer
Quinn's Word for Word / Brainstorm Editorial - Los Angeles
Specialists in alternative health, nutrition, psychology, spirituality and self-help books
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sunday, July 13, 2008
An Update... Plus Learning the Difference between "i.e." and "e.g."
Hi folks,
This summer has been very good to me, with lots of business and exciting new clients.
One of my favorite out-of-state clients was even here in LA for a book-signing at the Many Paths bookstore recently. That was Maureen Whitehouse, author of "Soul-Full Eating." My bet is that you're going to be hearing a lot more about Maureen Whitehouse in the year ahead. Read about Maureen's book-signing at another one of my client's (Lauren Gale/author of "From Breakup to Breakthrough") blogs. You'll even see a picture of the three of us together!
http://frombreakuptobreakthrough.com/blog/?cat=26
When I was at the Book Expo in LA earlier this year, I was chatting with an author about my editing and writing firm. Out popped the sentence, "I've been in business for 18 years." Wow! Time flies! One of the fun things about being an editor for so long (beside my wonderful clients, of course) is that you pick up lots of tricks of the trade along the way. You learn about obscure rules and publishing terms like "Epigraph" (that quote in the front matter of your book that suggests its theme).
For those of you who also enjoy splitting hairs when it comes to correcting your manuscript, I thought I'd share this insightful explanation from Grammar Girl on the difference between "i.e." and "e.g."
Check it out at: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ie-eg-oh-my.aspx
Have you been using it correctly?
Best regards,
Robin Quinn
Senior editor/writer
Quinn's Word for Word / Brainstorm Editorial
Specialists in alternative health, nutrition, psychology, spirituality and self-help books
This summer has been very good to me, with lots of business and exciting new clients.
One of my favorite out-of-state clients was even here in LA for a book-signing at the Many Paths bookstore recently. That was Maureen Whitehouse, author of "Soul-Full Eating." My bet is that you're going to be hearing a lot more about Maureen Whitehouse in the year ahead. Read about Maureen's book-signing at another one of my client's (Lauren Gale/author of "From Breakup to Breakthrough") blogs. You'll even see a picture of the three of us together!
http://frombreakuptobreakthrough.com/blog/?cat=26
When I was at the Book Expo in LA earlier this year, I was chatting with an author about my editing and writing firm. Out popped the sentence, "I've been in business for 18 years." Wow! Time flies! One of the fun things about being an editor for so long (beside my wonderful clients, of course) is that you pick up lots of tricks of the trade along the way. You learn about obscure rules and publishing terms like "Epigraph" (that quote in the front matter of your book that suggests its theme).
For those of you who also enjoy splitting hairs when it comes to correcting your manuscript, I thought I'd share this insightful explanation from Grammar Girl on the difference between "i.e." and "e.g."
Check it out at: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/ie-eg-oh-my.aspx
Have you been using it correctly?
Best regards,
Robin Quinn
Senior editor/writer
Quinn's Word for Word / Brainstorm Editorial
Specialists in alternative health, nutrition, psychology, spirituality and self-help books
Friday, May 30, 2008
Book Expo America Has Arrived! Come on by and say "hi!"
This is a busy time of year in the book business. Seems like the LA Times Festival of Books has just ended, and then we have Book Expo America -- the annual book trade show for the US -- suddenly already starting. Today is Day One.
I went to an associated event last night, with my author Lauren Gale (From Breakup to Breakthrough: Confessions of a Recovering Drama Queen) <http://www.frombreakuptobreakthrough.com/>. We had a great time circulating with book people, and plan to do more this weekend.
I will be featured at BEA from 2:00 to 3:30 pm tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday at Booth 5740 in Writer's Row. That's the booth for the Book Publicists of Southern California. Come on by to say "hello," to ask your editing or publishing questions, or to see a friendly face in this amazing crowd of book lovers.
See you soon!
Robin
Lead writer / editor
Quinn's Word for Word - Brainstorm Editorial
Professional writing and editing services from ghostwriting to editing to proofreading
Specialists in self-help, alternative health, spirituality and psychology
I went to an associated event last night, with my author Lauren Gale (From Breakup to Breakthrough: Confessions of a Recovering Drama Queen) <http://www.frombreakuptobreakthrough.com/>. We had a great time circulating with book people, and plan to do more this weekend.
I will be featured at BEA from 2:00 to 3:30 pm tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday at Booth 5740 in Writer's Row. That's the booth for the Book Publicists of Southern California. Come on by to say "hello," to ask your editing or publishing questions, or to see a friendly face in this amazing crowd of book lovers.
See you soon!
Robin
Lead writer / editor
Quinn's Word for Word - Brainstorm Editorial
Professional writing and editing services from ghostwriting to editing to proofreading
Specialists in self-help, alternative health, spirituality and psychology
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
See you at the Los Angeles Times Book Fair this Sunday?
This weekend in Los Angeles will be all about books, as the LA Times sponsors its 13th annual Festival of Books at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).
I will be appearing there at the Book Publicists of Southern California booth from 11 am til noon on Sunday. The booth number is 106, right near the cooking stage.
Come by to say "hello!" or to ask any questions you might have about the editing or writing of your books. You can also ask your nutrition or weight loss questions (see the P.S.).
Looking forward to meeting some of you!
Namaste!
Robin Quinn, CNHP
Health writer, editor and educator
P.S. To learn about the health education side of my life, visit my other website www.dietandlifestyleed.com.
I will be appearing there at the Book Publicists of Southern California booth from 11 am til noon on Sunday. The booth number is 106, right near the cooking stage.
Come by to say "hello!" or to ask any questions you might have about the editing or writing of your books. You can also ask your nutrition or weight loss questions (see the P.S.).
Looking forward to meeting some of you!
Namaste!
Robin Quinn, CNHP
Health writer, editor and educator
P.S. To learn about the health education side of my life, visit my other website www.dietandlifestyleed.com.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Why Hire a Ghostwriter?
by Robin Quinn
Part One of Robin Quinn’s Ghostwriting Series
Have a concept for a book that’s been running through your mind, but somehow it never gets written? Maybe it’s time to consider hiring a ghost.
I’m not taking about those spirits who haunt mansions in the countryside. I’m talking about a professional writer who will get your ideas down on paper so you can take your book out into the marketplace. Because your ideas serve as the foundation of the book, you are the author, not the ghostwriter.
Why do people hire a ghostwriter? Here are the reasons my clients have hired me in the past.
1. A ghost hires a ghost. For my first project, I was hired by a ghostwriter who had become busy with a web writing job and couldn’t get to the book project.
2. Busy expert doesn’t have time. Like that ghost, many subject experts don’t have time to write their books. My second client was a health and nutrition expert who was too busy with her practice to fine-tune a very rough draft of the book.
3. Want to replace your current ghost. My third client was looking for a writer to replace the ghostwriter who wrote his first book. A health coach, he was referred to me by my second client.
4. Repeat performance. The health coach was so pleased with my work on his second book, that he hired me to write two more manuscripts (one on health and one on nutrition).
5. Weak writing skills. My fifth ghostwriting client had a fun idea for a self-help book but writing wasn’t his thing.
6. Can’t get beyond writer’s block. My sixth client was a smart professional who had great ideas but a mental block that kept him from writing.
For all of these books, I used the clients’ ideas to create the book. Once again, that’s why their name, not mine, appears on the cover. Right now I am in the process of collaborating on a psychology book with a therapist. This time, I will get a co-authoring credit. But I would ghostwrite again because I love writing, working with new ideas, and engaging in the creative process with experts.
In the Part Two of this ghostwriting series, I’ll discuss the advantages of hiring a ghostwriter with subject expertise in your area of interest. For example, my specialties are health, psychology, spirituality, self-help and book publishing.
Ciao for now!
Robin Quinn
Senior writer and editor of
http://www.writingandediting.biz/
Part One of Robin Quinn’s Ghostwriting Series
Have a concept for a book that’s been running through your mind, but somehow it never gets written? Maybe it’s time to consider hiring a ghost.
I’m not taking about those spirits who haunt mansions in the countryside. I’m talking about a professional writer who will get your ideas down on paper so you can take your book out into the marketplace. Because your ideas serve as the foundation of the book, you are the author, not the ghostwriter.
Why do people hire a ghostwriter? Here are the reasons my clients have hired me in the past.
1. A ghost hires a ghost. For my first project, I was hired by a ghostwriter who had become busy with a web writing job and couldn’t get to the book project.
2. Busy expert doesn’t have time. Like that ghost, many subject experts don’t have time to write their books. My second client was a health and nutrition expert who was too busy with her practice to fine-tune a very rough draft of the book.
3. Want to replace your current ghost. My third client was looking for a writer to replace the ghostwriter who wrote his first book. A health coach, he was referred to me by my second client.
4. Repeat performance. The health coach was so pleased with my work on his second book, that he hired me to write two more manuscripts (one on health and one on nutrition).
5. Weak writing skills. My fifth ghostwriting client had a fun idea for a self-help book but writing wasn’t his thing.
6. Can’t get beyond writer’s block. My sixth client was a smart professional who had great ideas but a mental block that kept him from writing.
For all of these books, I used the clients’ ideas to create the book. Once again, that’s why their name, not mine, appears on the cover. Right now I am in the process of collaborating on a psychology book with a therapist. This time, I will get a co-authoring credit. But I would ghostwrite again because I love writing, working with new ideas, and engaging in the creative process with experts.
In the Part Two of this ghostwriting series, I’ll discuss the advantages of hiring a ghostwriter with subject expertise in your area of interest. For example, my specialties are health, psychology, spirituality, self-help and book publishing.
Ciao for now!
Robin Quinn
Senior writer and editor of
http://www.writingandediting.biz/
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Tracking a Forgery - That book was written by... me?
Yesterday I heard an amazing and amusing story on NPR that I just have to share with you. It's the tale of how British Middle Eastern correspondent Robert Fisk used his journalistic talents to track down the culprit who forged his name on a new biography of no less than Saddam Hussein. This journey took Fisk all the way to Cairo, and in the end, the journalist believes he found his man.
To hear the "Weekend Edition" story and Scott Simon's charming chuckling, visit:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18842047
To hear the "Weekend Edition" story and Scott Simon's charming chuckling, visit:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18842047
Monday, February 04, 2008
Book Biz News: Amazon to Buy Audible, Leading Online Provider of Audio Books
The news of the Amazon/Audible deal broke last Thursday. The story was picked up by Publishers Weekly and the wire services, and it generated significant interest by the financial news outlets.
Audible Inc. specializes in providing audio editions of books, as well as magazines and newspapers, TV and radio subscriptions, and other programming. According to Audible’s website, most of its customers download the audio content from http://www.audible.com/ directly to their computers and then transfer it to MP3 players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or smart mobile devises (SMDs). Content can also be delivered wirelessly directly to SMDs.
Speculation is that Amazon.com wishes to expand its audio content. The purchase price for Audible is a reported $300 million. Audible has about 80,000 audio programs in its current catalog, including the books The Secret, Skinny Bitch and Sex and the Brain. Categories run from fiction, to self-development, to business, to memoirs.
The acquisition will go through customary regulatory approvals, and it is expected to close within the second quarter of 2008.
Interestingly, within the last year, Amazon has made changes in its handling of digital content, including introducing its Kindle interface. The Kindle, an Amazon product, is a new wireless reading device that has a screen that “looks and reads like real paper” (according to Amazon). As of this writing, the Amazon device had become so popular that it was temporarily sold out.
Amazon also purchased Brilliance Audio last year.
Commenting on the Audible deal, Steve Kessel, Amazon’s Senior Vice President, said: “Working together, we can introduce more innovations and bring this format to an even wider audience.”
I’m thinking that it might just be time to sign up for a digital subscription to The New York Times. Look, Ma, no messy newspapers stacking up! Unfortunately, as of this writing, The Los Angeles Times is not yet available via Kindle. Both are great papers!... or should I say both would be great digital reads?
Audible Inc. specializes in providing audio editions of books, as well as magazines and newspapers, TV and radio subscriptions, and other programming. According to Audible’s website, most of its customers download the audio content from http://www.audible.com/ directly to their computers and then transfer it to MP3 players, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or smart mobile devises (SMDs). Content can also be delivered wirelessly directly to SMDs.
Speculation is that Amazon.com wishes to expand its audio content. The purchase price for Audible is a reported $300 million. Audible has about 80,000 audio programs in its current catalog, including the books The Secret, Skinny Bitch and Sex and the Brain. Categories run from fiction, to self-development, to business, to memoirs.
The acquisition will go through customary regulatory approvals, and it is expected to close within the second quarter of 2008.
Interestingly, within the last year, Amazon has made changes in its handling of digital content, including introducing its Kindle interface. The Kindle, an Amazon product, is a new wireless reading device that has a screen that “looks and reads like real paper” (according to Amazon). As of this writing, the Amazon device had become so popular that it was temporarily sold out.
Amazon also purchased Brilliance Audio last year.
Commenting on the Audible deal, Steve Kessel, Amazon’s Senior Vice President, said: “Working together, we can introduce more innovations and bring this format to an even wider audience.”
I’m thinking that it might just be time to sign up for a digital subscription to The New York Times. Look, Ma, no messy newspapers stacking up! Unfortunately, as of this writing, The Los Angeles Times is not yet available via Kindle. Both are great papers!... or should I say both would be great digital reads?
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