NCF Tuesday: E-Reader Invasion, 5-Minute Memoir, Dear John


digitaltrends.com


News

The E-Reader Invasion

Citizens are racing to Barnes and Noble, Borders and Amazon to join in the e-reader insanity that has taken over the United States.  If you can’t shell out the $139+ to buy the genius reinvention of the book, you can download the Andriod application to your phone.  Google Books and Kindle are a touch away on my T-Mobile G2. 

This infectious hysteria is weaseling its way into every aspect of life.   Growing up with the smell of freshly printed pages, the comforting aroma of used books and the collection of bookmarks has proven a struggle for book lovers.  Should they hold on to what they love or buy a ticket for the e-reader train?  Magpie Writes is working through her indecision by investigating the craze to determine the impact it will have on her as a writer. 

The debate over e-readers and print books plastered in news papers, magazines, TV and online, proves they are here to stay.  Regardless of whose carbon footprint is smaller or which provides the better reading experience. 

Amazon recently reported they have sold more Kindles than paperbacks, 115 to 100. And with the direction publishing is headed might increase the gap between the e-reader and novels.  

Man Booker Prize judges, who read through 138 books last year, will be given e-readers for this years contest.  Hey, they save on postage and avoid the danger of being buried beneath all the candidates.     

E-books and Libraries are working through their differences.  One solution offered requires the libraries to carry e-books and lend them out.  This will not only boost e-reader sales, but bring more business to the library.   

Which e-reader is superior?


Contests

Glimmer Train Literary Journal
-       Short Story Award for New Writers
-       First Place Prize: $1,200
-       Deadline: February 28, 2011
-       Details here http://www.glimmertrain.com/shorawfornew2.html

Narrative Magazine
-       Fiction and Nonfiction
-       First Place Prize: $3,250
-       Deadline: March 31, 2011
-       Details here http://www.narrativemagazine.com/node/114958

Writer’s Digest Magazine
-       80th Annual Writing Competition
o   Fiction and Nonfiction
o   Grand Prize: $3,000
o   Deadline: May 2, 2011
o   Details here http://www.writersdigest.com/annual
-       Your Story #32
o   Fiction prompt response (750 words or less)
o   First Place Prize: Publication in Writer’s Digest magazine
o   Deadline: February 10, 2011
o   Details here http://www.writersdigest.com/YourStory/
-       5-Minute Memoir, “Tales From the Writing Life”
o   Personal Essay (600 words or less)
o   Prize: Publication in Writer’s Digest magazine
o   Deadline: Rolling submissions
o   Details here http://blog.writersdigest.com/promptly/5Minute+Memoir+Want+To+Have+Your+Essay+On+The+Writing+Life+Appear+In+WD+Magazine.aspx

American Poetry Talent Search Contest
-       Poetry (100 lines or less)
-       First Prize: $250
-       Deadline: March 31, 2011
-       Details here http://www.poetrycritiques.biz/Poetry_Contest.html


Fun
Punctuation Parable
Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy - will you let me be yours?
Gloria
Dear John,
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior.
You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Gloria

Comments

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said…
Yeah ebooks will be popular until publishers place advertisements in them later this year. Imagine...you buy your ebook and get ready to read and get the message "Your ebook will begin in 30 seconds while an advertisment for Geico plays out on your Kindle, iPad, or Nook." And this is totally coming down the pipe...I'm not making this up. Google for yourself.
February 1, 2011 at 12:14 PM
Anonymous said…
What conclusion have you come to?
February 4, 2011 at 10:43 PM
Laura M. Campbell said…
I want to embrace the E-reader and e-book insanity, but I'm not entirely convinced. I love holding a book in my hand. My biggest concern is the actual reading experience. Working on the computer all day writing and researching, I experience headaches. Will I suffer the same fate reading an electronic novel? I am also not entirely convinced it is better for the environment creating electronic books. Yes, the trees will be saved, but what about the production waste and discarded electronic devices? The jury is still out.
February 7, 2011 at 9:15 PM
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