The summer’s drawing to a close, and along with it my summertime schedule is about to disappear in a flurry of carpools, print orders, page proofs and Halloween decorations. But first take a moment to check out the shaking of the firmament by Seth Godin, Konrath’s latest, the pros and cons on Publishers Weekly, the possibilities of self-publishing, and a long talk with Jane Friedman. (And don’t miss Welcome to the Weird Room—you won’t be sorry.) Enjoy!

Tim Ferriss on Four Hour Work Week
How Authors Really Make Money: The Rebirth of Seth Godin and Death of Traditional Publishing
“In this post, I’ll look at real-world numbers to discuss some hard truths of publishing, explain economics and pay-offs, and provide a few suggestions for aspiring authors.”

J.A. Konrath on A Newbie’s Guide to Publishing
On Beyond Ebooks
“The book is ridiculously entertaining to read, and I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun writing something. Because the humor is so offensive, I never would have been able to sell this to a traditional publisher. But with Kindle, I can really utilize the format to do things that publishers can’t, and won’t, do.”

Victoria Strauss on Writer Beware Blog
PW Select: Opportunity or Exploitation?
“Bottom line: as much as Kirkus Discoveries or any other paid review service, PW Select is a moneymaking venture that feeds on self- and small press-pubbed authors’ hunger for exposure, in full knowledge that the majority of the writers who buy the service will not benefit from it.”

Rachelle Gardner on Rants and Ramblings
Are You a Do-It-Yourself Type?
“I’m still a huge advocate and fan of the publishing industry, and will continue to focus my efforts in getting authors published the traditional way. But I’m also encouraging those of you who are entrepreneurial-minded to give the self-pub route serious thought. Assess the pros and cons for your own situation, and explore the options.”

John Sundman on Self-Publishing Review
Jane Friedman, Long-Time Publisher of Writer’s Digest, Talks with Self-Publishing Review
“Writers breaking in today should probably spend half their “writing” time on activities that build their readership or community. This might actually still involve writing (e.g., blog posts or reviews), and be quality time that helps the final book or product.”

And for Something a Little Different . . .

Weird Book Room on Abebooks.com
Welcome to the Weird Book Room
“The finest source of everything that’s bizarre, odd and downright weird in books.”

Image licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, original work copyright by marfis75, https://www.flickr.com/photos/marfis75/