Friday Fridge Clean-Out: February 26th Edition

I'm snowbound (16 inches, still falling), and the temptation to light a fire and read all day is strong. But first I'll prep for my next online creative nonfiction writing class which begins Monday, and then I will move to that couch, though on my lap will be an editing client's memoir. Still, I'll be reading. Sort of. Meanwhile, here are a few links I liked this week.

►If you're not a writer who makes peace with, and even collects rejections, you might not understand this guy, who counts five figures worth of rejections. Oh, and he's widely, and prestigiously, published too. As Eric at Pimp My Novel points out, unless you have a similarly sizable rejection collection, that wouldn't be the sound of you complaining, would it? Didn't think so.

►Memoir writers know the drill: first finish writing the book, then polish that manuscript, write a killer book proposal which includes a well-researched marketing section, and THEN seek an agent, right? Well, not always. Here's how one woman went the opposite way and how -- and why -- it all worked out.

►So you turn in your final book manuscript to the publisher and then what? Charles Stross knows – everything from copy editing, to scheduling, to ARCS, to physical production and distribution. You know, that sounds sort of dull, but it was an eye-opening and fun read.

► If you teach a online college course (about anything), or simply want to know more about how those who do approach course design and student interaction, you may want to read this longish and informative piece at the Chronicle of Higher Education.

► Off The Bookshelf is a newly launched site which aims to help authors connect with readers, via individual "bookstores" where writers can set prices and sell their own books, converse with readers, blog and other activities.

►Interesting article at The Financial Times about the money side of ghostwriting books for famous business folks.

► This shouldn't happen to a creditable author with a dozen historic nonfiction books to his name. But it did. A source on whom Charles Pelligrino relied for recollections of substantial narrative passages in his new book, Last Train To Hiroshima, now says she lied, and experts seem to agree. A costly mistake the author and publisher are now correcting.

►And finally, Nicholas Kristof, the wonderful New York Times OpEd columnist, wrote a parody of how consumer news consumption might fare if it worked like the broken health care system.

Have a great weekend.