With the closing of the historic Oscar Wilde bookshop a few years ago, Borders had become my “go to” bookstore. My local store had a friendly staff and was reasonably well-stocked. I was sad, but not particularly surprised, when it was announced that my favorite Borders location would be closing in the aftermath of the company’s implosion late last month. Many have noted that even during liquidation, it still can’t compete with Amazon’s prices. Sucks to be in retail.
In an interesting post at Writer Unboxed, author M.J. Rose notes “that no matter what you do for your book, you can’t make yourself a bestseller”. She recommends “staying alive”, meaning that focus and sustained effort are the best ways to win in the publishing game.
Joe Kenney at Glorious Trash takes a look at the unlikely (but sound) advice Dean Koontz has for authors of “Big Sexy Books” (aka Glorious Trash).