Faking It is also my favorite, and to make it better, the cover illustration looks like me AND there is a character with my name in the book!

ETA: Book Cover with scarf and bobbed hair [link]

AND there is a character with my name in the book!

Who is AWESOME.

When I asked the other day if anyone here had recommended 13 Bullets to me, what happened when I looked it up on Amazon so that I could link was that I found out there are THREE MORE BOOKS in the series. I didn't realize when I started it that it *was* a series.

They're so fucking creepy and dark -- vampires written very differently than most other vampire stories/shows/movies (these vampires are NOT Spike or Edward Cullen, or even Dracula) -- and yet I *must* find out what happens.

I anticipate sleepless nights in my future.

There are Garveys in Welcome to Temptation, which seemed cool till I realized they were douchebags. A Steve Garvey specifically, too!

That series looks good, Tep.

What it's like being an acquisitions editor: [link]

Most trade books do not succeed, financially. Three out of four fail to earn back their advances. Or four out of five or six out of seven, depending on what source you consult. And depending on what kind of accounting shell game is being played in the back office. A medium-strong batting average in baseball -- let's say .305 -- is Hall of Fame-worthy in publishing.

Genuine literary discernment is often a liability in editors. ... I have this completely unfounded theory that there are a million very good -- engaged, smart, enthusiastic -- generalist readers in America. There are five hundred thousand extremely good such readers. There are two hundred and fifty thousand excellent readers. There are a hundred and twenty-five thousand alert, active, demanding, well-educated (sometimes self-well-educated), and thoughtful -- that is, literarily superb -- readers in America.

There are a hundred and twenty-five thousand alert, active, demanding, well-educated (sometimes self-well-educated), and thoughtful -- that is, literarily superb -- readers in America.

So - less than half the population of Seattle.

Very, very, very depressing.

That's an excellent essay, Tom. Thanks for the link!

Wow, I didn't think it was possible to be more depressed about my job, but I guess I was wrong.

Wow, I didn't think it was possible to be more depressed about my job, but I guess I was wrong.

This is what I've been saying! Being an acquisitions editor sounds fun, and it is sometimes, but mostly it's depressing and tedious and ... depressing.

Mostly I'm sad I sought out the actual PW survey article.

The frustrating thing about my job is that I actually really like what I do on a daily basis; however, I have a really really bad manager and comparing my salary to the median income here provides very little incentive to stick with it.

Especially since, lately, our job has involved way more marketing (which is fine by me since that's actually what my undergrad degree was in, and I'm good at) and the amount and kind of work this entails means I should be making a lot more.

Le sigh.

That series looks good, Tep.

I warn you, it is FUCKED UP. But in a good way.