My latest published piece on the CBC.ca website is related to a subject that I have come to learn almost everything about– the book publishing industry. It is a lengthy read, but I wanted to be very clear about the Booknet system of tracking sales data.

Yeah, if only Nuit Blanche had been like that. There were very good moments–a fashion exhibit where the clothes were composed entirely of ties; a recreation of the dance scene from Thriller; and assorted visual marvels. There were also bombs and exhibits that fell flat, the kind that diminish society’s desire to fund the Arts.
In a chance [...]

 “When Ali was down, I remember saying to my ringman Al Braverman, ‘Start the car, we’re going to the bank, we’re millionaires.’ And Al said, ‘You’d better turn around. Because he’s getting up, and he looks pissed off.’”   — Chuck Wepner
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Last evening’s guest speaker was none other than Scott Richardson, Creative Director at Random House [...]

Q: How do you make a small fortune in publishing?
A: Start with a large fortune.
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Two times I heard this exact same joke–once by a literary agent, then by a magazine publisher. I still laughed the second time, more out of a growing sense of anxiety rather than anything else. They say that laughter is a [...]

Right now, the publishing course I am taking is taught by Sam Hiyate, a former publisher, among other job titles. He runs The Rights Factory, a Toronto-based literary agency.
You have no idea how refreshing it is to be surrounded by ordinary people looking to get into the book industry. Everyone seems passionate and easy-going. There [...]