Posts filed under 'Opinion'
How High Can You Count? An Innovative Video Experiment Calls for Submissions
Browsing one of my favorite Web sites, The Internet Movie Database, for information on Joss Whedon’s new TV series for the Fall, I stumbled upon a link at the bottom of their home page.
There’s a guy, Adam Box, takes his inspiration from Kyle MacDonald’s book, One Red Paperclip, and the non-profit organization The 1 Second Film, not to mention some random guy who collected pictures of sheep from around the world. Considering all this, Box decided to put together a film project for his family—specifically his daughter—and called for submission.
Called Counting High, numbers from 1 to 123,465 will each get their own frame in the film. And everyone who participates in the project gets their very own number to design as they please, in whatever medium they choose.
My number’s 23. Which I’m totally loving—it’s prime, figures somewhat extensively in Lost lore, it’s sort of round—it’s just a cool number.
But I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what to do with it. I could paint it, I could sculpt it, I could choose a font and have large black text on white paper…I could have my hapless co-workers form the numbers on the floor of the auditorium and take a picture. Hee, hee.
The ways in which I can use this number are endless so, I’m having trouble focusing. And, really, with 25 frames per second, the chances of anyone seeing my number and being profoundly affected by its design are pretty low. It’s not about any single number, is it? It’s about the effect of the whole, all 123, 456 numbers.
So, if you want a number, visit Count High, read the background behind the project and e-mail Adam your request for a number—I think he still has a ways to go. Maybe I’ll get “23” tattooed on me somewhere, take a picture of it and use that as my submission. Problem solved!
-Jenn
Add comment May 1, 2008
Written on the Body: The Art of Tattoo Storytelling
“Skin” isn’t in the book. Rather, it’s a “mortal work of art: a story tattooed on readers’ bodies, one word at a time.” Only the participants of the story will receive a complete copy of the whole story, and I want to be one of those participants.
It’s been almost two years since I e-mailed Shelley about my desire and willingness to be part of the project and, with only 315 words left to distribute, my chances don’t look too good.
I’ve long been fascinated with words – not just words that roll off the tongue well, or have cool meanings – but how words look. The combination of the font, the letters in the word, coupled with the meaning of the word, has an affect on me that I can’t, well, put into words.
When I was a kid, maybe nine- or ten-years-old, I used to beg my sister to write words on me with those colored markers that smelled like fruit. It’s funny, though, she had terrible writing, and I was always disappointed with the outcome. Then, I discovered tattooing and Peter Greenaway’s film, The Pillow Book. Check out the review on Rottentomatoes.com. Together, it was a realization of what I tried to get my sister to do as a child – indelible words on my skin.
Like Justin, though he has me beat by the sheer amount of ink on him, I love my tattoos. And I love the words I have tattooed on me – but I’m not part of a collective story. Not collectively written, but a written upon collective.
And it makes me wonder about the convergence of flesh and words and meaning, and if the same word tattooed on two different people means the same thing. Or if the same word in two different books (or even the same book) means the same thing. And if they don’t, then how can we come to a consensus over any written text, whether on paper or skin?
I guess that’s why there are so many books out there – we haven’t come up with all the ways stories can be told – or written.
4 comments April 17, 2008
Modern DIY Explosion: Online Communities Where the DIY and MIY Mentality Thrives
DIY what? MIY who?
Companies and organizations have been reputed for casually throwing around these acronyms like snowballs in winter, never knowing exactly for what DIY or MIY actually stand.
So let’s set the record straight now, get to the bottom of these terms and detail some Internet corners where the DIY and MIY are legitimately supported as well as encouraged.
DEFINING TERMS:
DIY (or “Do-it-yourself”): A term coined from the ‘50s that commonly refers to the process of making or building something for oneself without the aid of paid professions. The goal of DIY pursuits is as much about making a useful product as it is about self-empowerment.
MIY (or “Make-it-yourself”): Like DIY, MIY endeavors are primarily about creating a good that is functional and decorative, with a personal touch. MIY is a relatively recent term, focusing on crafting, clothing and household projects. The goal of most MIY pursuits is to encourage individuality in products and life, instead of cookie-cutter corporate standards.
Zine: Short for magazine, zines are smaller magazine that are usually hand written (or typed) as well as hand bound. Circulation is generally lower for zines, and distribution occurs either through distros or alternative publishing companies like Microcosm Publishing whose primary goal is to encourage self-empowerment and creativity.
Graphic Novel: A type of comic book that usually contains a higher page count, higher-quality illustrations and a more in depth storyline. Graphic novels are typically perfect bound and geared toward a more mature audience.
Craft: Either a skill (as in crafting a short story or repairing a car) or a term used to describe the decorative arts (as in Arts and Crafts). Some common handmade crafts associate with the DIY/MIY mentality include: pottery, ceramics, metal work, weaving, knitting, sewing, jewelry making, wood working, glass blowing.
DIY subculture: A group within the majority that feels a distinct lack of satisfaction and aesthetic in the industrial process of making goods for distribution. This subculture is often associated with music, revolution and activism.
###
COMMON CONFUSIONS:
To DIY, To Sleep Perchance to Dream
One common confusion about the term DIY is the extent of yourself in the projects. Obviously, calling a plumber to fix a sink you never installed is not DIY. While knitting your own scarf with your own pattern is a great example of the DIY work ethic.
But what about the middle? What about companies like Wordclay who are using a publishing wizard to design books as well as professionals to bind, print and sell books? (more…)
2 comments April 9, 2008
Serial Publications: What’s an ISSN? And Can Wordclay Accommodate Your Journal Publishing Goals?
First and foremost, let’s define the ISSN and the ISBN to avoid confusion.
An ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) is a simple eight-digit number that identifies periodical publications like literary journals, trade magazines and other serial publications.
But an ISBN is a 13-digit number used to identify monographs (or books) that are expected to have an individual life apart from a periodic appearance. The author, subject and genre could all be the same, but a divergence in primary or secondary title will call for an ISBN.
Now check out this definition of serial publication:
“A publication, in any medium, issued in successive parts, usually having numerical or chronological designations and intended to be continued with no predetermined end. But this definition excludes works intended to be published in a finite number of parts. The ISSN is applicable to the entire population of serials, whether past, present or to be published in the foreseeable future. Serials include periodicals, newspapers, annuals (reports, yearbooks, directories, etc.), the journals, series, memoirs, proceedings, transactions, etc. of societies.”
Essentially, if you want a standardized identifier of a trade or literary series that universities and libraries around the world can reference, then an ISSN might be useful. The flip side of the ISSN, though, is that if any change occurs within the title or the general management of the serial publications, then a new ISSN would be required for coming (altered) issues.
If you’re confused with all this book identification mumbo-jumbo, we recommend visiting http://www.issn.org/ where you can drop a line to the ISSN International Centre.
That said – here’s what I would do.
2 comments March 25, 2008
A Wordclay Solution: How Print-On-Demand Can Benefit Literary Magazines and Trade Periodicals
Truth is literary magazine and trade periodicals suffer constantly. When the editors aren’t trying to squeeze every penny out of their meager printing budget, then they’re dealing with flighty designers, artists, volunteer readers combing through hundreds of submissions, event coordinators, venue staff for readings, journals returned to sender – if you can name a single part of the production or printing process, then it’s undoubtedly an editorial stress as well.
Trust me, as a previous editor-in-chief myself, I understand completely. Looking back, I’m surprised I didn’t pull all my hair out and develop an ulcer in the meantime.
But as I started working for Wordclay, the journal benefits of Print-On-Demand technology and companies like Wordclay – companies who are trying to automate the publishing process – occurred to me.
Let’s cut to the chase then.
Running a literary magazine, like anything, takes money, usually at least a couple thousand per issue. Unfortunately, funding for many magazines and periodicals primarily comes from outside sources such as university reserves, local or state grants as well as independent donations. Frankly, subscription sales can barely keep most periodicals afloat, which means editors have to rely heavily on the renewal of their annual donations and grants. And editors print, all with the constant threat that their outside funding might not come the next year around and then the magazine will, literally, go under.
So how exactly can POD technology and Wordclay help prevent quality magazines from biting the dust before their time?
First, obviously, Wordclay is free. An editor could use our free story and poetry templates from the Genre Lounge and design a galley all by themselves, designer free. Then, if you’re not concerned with cover art, you could opt for a free cover. Or you can always pay a small price for the Stock Cover Art and submit artwork with directions for our professional designers. Comparatively, it will save you time and money using Wordclay even with Stock Cover Art, then contracting a busy designer who might not care about the look of your emerging journal.
(Note: Read about the controversial shipping cost later in this blog) (more…)
5 comments March 18, 2008
Author Networking: The Top 24 Online Reading and Writing Communities You Need To Know
Greetings and salutations from Wordclay, Internet surfers.
Last week, drafting the text for the Memoir Genre Spot, imploring authors to join online writing and book communities, it suddenly occurred to me that authors may already be too exhausted at the end of the day, tired from writing, publishing, marketing, day jobs, families, dogs and whatever number of other worldly pursuits you’ve got, to actually pour what little, precious energy they have remaining into tedious searches for online communities.
Not when there’s so much quality late-night television, and with the writer’s strike over, it’s only going to get better. Or worse, depending on your viewpoint – worse in the sense that shows will be more likely to keep your attention.
So I opened my laptop and, over the course of a few weeks, compiled a list of The Top 24 Online Reading and Writing Communities.
7 comments March 11, 2008
Announcing the Poetry Contest Winners: Finally, Sweet Relief!
After an extremely difficult selection process, our judges have convened, argued, read, reread, brewed coffee, read some more, slept on it, dreamt on it, discussed again in the morning and have finally made their decisions.
Now, without further ado, what we’ve all been waiting for, please join me in congratulating Wordclay’s Poetry Contest Winners!
Drum roll please…
In the category of the Wordclay Single Poem Contest:
The Grand Prize goes to Jamie Crawford for the poem, “Redemption.”
The Runner-Up Prize goes to Daniel Bristol for his poem, “Devolutionist.”
For a complete list of Finalists, you can now visit Wordclay’s Contest Connection or jump directly to the listed winners here.
All the Finalists, along with Crawford and Bristol, will be featured in the upcoming Wordclay poetry anthology, tentatively titled Best Modern Voices: Words for the New Millennium: A Poetry Anthology.
Mystro, drum roll again, please…
And in the category of the Wordclay Book of Poetry Contest:
The Grand Prize goes to Brenda Mirsky for her collection titled Spare Parts.
The Runner Up Prize goes to Katherine Marie Haaheim for her collection that begins with “A Study in Personification,” pending permanent title.
Both Mirsky and Haaheim’s books should be available within the next couple of weeks, so keep an eye out for them. Lucky for me, I get to curl up at home after work and read both of them. From what little I’ve read during my break, they seem like great collections, dare I say gems.
Kudos to the winners and everyone who entered! If you weren’t selected this time around, you should definitely consider entering one of our upcoming contests. The Short Story and Short Story Collection contests are next on our list, so keep an eye out for the guidelines on our Contest Connection Web page.
Even if short stories aren’t exactly your forte, there will be other contests as well, and it won’t be long before another Wordclay poetry contest comes around again.
This is Justin, blogcasting from Wordclay, signing off.
6 comments February 28, 2008
In the News: ReadWriteWeb Covers Print On Demand and Wordclay
In the words of Wordclay’s president Dave McCauley, “Now it’s all about the independent artists…” which, in actuality, sums up the entire DIY publishing mission in one simple phrase.
On Friday, Feb. 22, ReadWriteWeb published an article, Online Print On Demand Space Heats Up, in which their bloggers examine the recent explosion in POD technology and services within the publishing industry. Lucky for us Wordclay bloggers, McCauley not only possesses a remarkable insight into publishing, but a handy knack for expressing the complicated creative and business issues surrounding self-publishing in a straightforward and concise way.
(Note: It can never hurt to flatter the president of your company.)
But flattery aside, McCauley just so happens to be right as well.
In the ReadWriteWeb article, McCauley makes some pretty insightful observations about self-publishing and print-on-demand technology, likening DIY publishing to the upsurge of the indie music scene as well as examining the recurring costs of traditional publishers. (more…)
2 comments February 25, 2008
The Art of Science Fiction: Challenges Writers Face in the Sci-fi Genre
Imagine a hover car zooms past you at 200 mph and you almost drop your handheld video phone and almost spill your reconstituted neo-soy latte all over your gravity boots. With a scene like that all we can do is imagine. 
We’ve all had similar experiences though. Maybe you were stepping out into a street and an Explorer zips by at 55 mph and you almost drop your iPhone and spill your regular soy latte all over your new All Stars. You place yourself in the 2055 world and you’re awed by the sheer freshness of everything, but you can still gather how a person similar to you might feel when the hover car comes ahovering past – the trauma, the frustration, your whole life flashing before your eyes.
This is very crux of science fiction: creating an exotic, yet real and futuristic world while simultaneously portraying believable characters that not only have real human problems, but are quite familiar with the futuristic world around them, having been raised in it after all. How can you mention that cutting edge cybernetic implant if your characters would never think to mention it, being that their cybernetic implants are about the equivalent to our can openers today? (more…)
6 comments February 19, 2008
Top 10 Writing & Publishing Blogs: Literature on a Need-to-Know Basis
As efficiently (dare I say effectively) as the Wordclay bloggers post, of course we can’t cover every single writing and publishing area. Maybe if we were chained to our desks, worked non-stop, hopped up on a coffee-drip, without bathroom breaks, and typed for a decade straight, maybe then all our readers would be satisfied.
Imagine our poor writers!
But writers and authors shouldn’t have to wait that long (and Wordclay bloggers shouldn’t have to suffer such cruel and unusual punishments either).
Essentially, you want useful information without all the marketing ploys and incomprehensible techno-babble that would likely help you about as much as a lobotomy would.
Here’s our solution: provide our readers with a list of the top 10 comprehensive blogs out there for your friendly, neighborhood lay-writer as well as lay-author.
Maybe you can’t find your answers at Wordclay, and you aren’t in the mood to submit a question. Or perhaps you just have some downtime and want to bone up on the publishing industry. What then? Where does a writer go for a little inspiration these days?
Look no further, my friend.
Welcome to the publishing blog hall, where at least one site has your answer. (more…)
8 comments February 12, 2008
