For relatives in the Stephens family: For Duncan Albert Long, June 24, 1915 – March 24, 1944. Served in WWII. RAF pilot shot down over Germany, recipient of Distinguished Flying Medal. For Duncan’s brothers, John and Jim who served in the British army and navy during WWII. For Thomas Cecil Phillips, August 14, 1922 – December, 2008. Served in WWII. Served with the Gloucester Regiment, British Army WWII, Burma, March 1944, and returned for demobilization…
It has become almost a tired argument the past three years that print books will suffer extinction. Pundits far wiser than I have expostulated that in this world of immediate gratification and three second attention, of rampant consumerism and the rule of the mob, that books — real, paper-filled and cover bound books — will see a demise in favour of digital information and literature. Certainly that prediction is not without precedent. Just look at…
Five Rivers first signed up with Smashwords November, 2009 at the urging of Brian Rathbone. Despite having known about the service, I’d resisted jumping into the Smashwords pool because it all seemed somewhat ad hoc, geek-driven and populated by more fringe elements than credible. (I’m sure I’m going to experience a deluge of frogs because of that statement.) However, after reading Doctorow’s take on the fallacy of digital book encryption, and Rathbone’s sales figures, I…
In this new age of digital everything, more and more there is a need to standardize digital formats in order to build consumer confidence and ease of use. When Sony, RCA or some indie music label produces an album, its released in CD and MP3 formats. The CD is readable by any CD player, just as the digital tracks are readable by any MP3 player, whether it’s on your Blackberry phone, your iPod, or any…
I really never thought I’d succumb to this, to the detestable rules and protocols that gird the publishing world to the point of encumbrance and ritual. But here I am, amazed there are so many unprofessional people out there hawking their writing like desperate merchants at a flea market.So here are some cryptic DON’Ts by way of advice to all would-be hopefuls knocking on Five Rivers’ publishing doors. 1. DON’T submit without reading our guidelines…