Allyson, you could send a note to snacky@livejournal.com -- I'm sure she'd be pleased as punch to be cited.

Nutty would know more about how much use is fair use, but I would suspect than anything under 50 words of prose is okay.

And when the original poster is anonymous/pseudonymous and there's no way to reach them, I think you're okay.

I still feel bad about it.

He's the one who should feel bad about it. The day I refuse to consider a blurb for another writer - especially one I know, and one in my own field - is the day whatever publishing luck I have deserves to dry up and blow away.

Deb, in Joss's defense, having his name on the book could be seen as something like an official endorsement from the shows, which would likely be problematic.

Oh, I think it's pretty clear that Joss and the shows are two separate entities. Bottom line is, without a cult fandom, I honestly think it unlikely there would have been one tenth the support for BtVS. And in any case, the shows aren't even on anymore, despite the best efforts of Allyson and everyone else in that wild and crazy fandom universe.

But that's just my take. Nonetheless....

I have a less technical and more technique-al question: How do you come up with a title? I suck at titles.

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HeadTrip, Inc.

The attendant seated the jacks in my skull as I lay back in the recliner. Ads for available vacation programs flashed on the ceiling: a Scottish castle, an NBA superstar, a swimsuit model.

I couldn’t afford any of those, but it didn’t matter. Even the cheapest program was two subjective weeks of being someone else. Someone who was happy, someone who wasn’t me.

I wish I could stay on vacation forever.

I think it's pretty clear that Joss and the shows are two separate entities

I don't. He's still very "Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

No opinion on the reasons for withholding blurb.

"Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

And creator of Firefly, which would have - and did - benefit enormously from the work of the person he's refused the blurb to.

Sorry, babe. I have issues with blurb refusals, unless a solid reason is given, and I don't care who the writer is. My take is that if you're reaping the perqs, pay the debt too.

edit: clarifying on the show linkage to say that, unless you sign the blurb that way, you aren't identifying it. The show isn't giving the blurb. The human is.

I'm not talking about blurb refusals, deb. I'm talking about Joss Whedon's identity. He created Firefly too, he writes X-Men comics, yadda yadda.

My only contention was that it's not clear that Joss and the shows are separate entities. Not to the outside.

I'm not offering up any other opinions.

Yep, probably a good point, ita. As I said, though, this is my own issue. I do get asked for blurbs and unless I genuinely hate the book, I'll either do a blurb or give a damned good reason why not. Just refusing with no reason given, when I'm in a position to do a writer who needs it some good, strikes me as a piss-poor payback to people like Roger Zelazny, who went out of their way to help me when I was new at this.

But, whatever. Not pounding the podium - the issue's my own, as are the reactions.

Thanks, Consuela!

I got Mike Godwin's blessing. I feel like I just emailed with a rock star.