Gawker
struggling writers
Posts Tagged “
struggling writers
”
struggling writers
struggling writers
Sad Writer Says Mom Never Noticed His Byline
Jeff Jarvis, who invented Entertainment Weekly, used to work for the Chicago Tribune, where his mom would read his stories and then tell him all about them, because the old coot didn't realize he had written them himself. You know, this kind of thing happens. Just yesterday my wife told me about this crazy new publisher that wasn't going to pay advances or accept returns. The daughter of a newspaper bureau chief told me how her dad couldn't get anyone in the family to read his stuff. But Jarvis, now an angry blogger, isn't like the rest of us. He wants to take out what his mom did to him on an entire profession, so today he said on CNN some local newspaper writers should be fired because of his mother: More »
struggling writers
Publisher To Take Out Frustrations On You, Your Bookstore, Entire World
HarperCollins Publishers decided that the book biz is too hard these days so it's going to try and get everyone else to do its job for it. Its books don't sell? That's the bookstores' problem; HarperCollins' new division will take no returns, or at least that's the goal. Writers need to eat while writing? That's what crippling credit card debt is for, losers; the new unit will pay "low or no advances," according to the Times, preferring to only fork out cash when it has made whatever it defines as a profit on a book. Here, the executive in charge of the new division explains how all this benefits you, the struggling writer. Just kidding, here's how he says it makes sense for his company: More »
we hate your children
Hipster Daddy Throwdown A Vortex Of Do Not Want
Alternadad and struggling writer Neal Pollack (pictured, right) has, of course, his own "alternative online parenting publication" called Offsprung, and the site in turn has a chat section called "the Playground," and Pollack figures no one else should be allowed to ever use the word "playground" in the name of a parental discussion board. But that's exactly what Nerve.com founder Rufus Griscom (pictured, left) has gone and done, with his "Babble Playground," attached to his existing hipster parenting site Babble. And so the hipster parent flamewar is on. Cue the requisite nauseating, passive-aggressive bickering over which site is authentic and which site is derivative and tacky. To make things more fun, lawyers are involved. More »
struggling writers
Huffington Post blogger Ben Heller says his wife's insane addiction to the Hills makes him love her just a little bit less, but if you read his column on the matter you'll see he's talking about a serious issue that threatens to undermine his marriage more and more with each passing Monday night. The tone of his piece is not unlike someone who writes in to a dating columnist with something like, "My relationship with my boyfriend is totally perfect, except for this one small problem where he likes to set stray cats on fire." Here's what Heller writes about the women of the Hills, and you can't help but wonder if there's a little transference going on: "These girls have no interest in the Lloyd Doblers and Seth Cohens of the world. They want the club-hopping himbo with a table at Les Deux and an Uncle in casting at New Line." And what of the ladies who like to watch the Hills, like his wife?
More »
The Hills Is Ruining This Guy's Marriage
Huffington Post blogger Ben Heller says his wife's insane addiction to the Hills makes him love her just a little bit less, but if you read his column on the matter you'll see he's talking about a serious issue that threatens to undermine his marriage more and more with each passing Monday night. The tone of his piece is not unlike someone who writes in to a dating columnist with something like, "My relationship with my boyfriend is totally perfect, except for this one small problem where he likes to set stray cats on fire." Here's what Heller writes about the women of the Hills, and you can't help but wonder if there's a little transference going on: "These girls have no interest in the Lloyd Doblers and Seth Cohens of the world. They want the club-hopping himbo with a table at Les Deux and an Uncle in casting at New Line." And what of the ladies who like to watch the Hills, like his wife?
More »
struggling writers
Huffington Post Bloggers Asleep On The Job
Unlike many bloggers, Huffington Post editors Rachel Sklar and Katherine Thompson don't work from home, in their pajamas, while drinking, at least not in the following office video, which shows the bloggers collapsed on a conference room desk and apparently snoozing on the job. So site co-founder Arianna Huffington and the rest of management must be working them to exhaustion. At Christmastime, no less! Those who still think writing for the internet is somehow glamorous should watch the brief clip, in which bloggers resemble nothing so much as cable repair dudes: More »
Oh, Jenny
Book-pimping Times reporter Jennifer 8. Lee is confused about why her book is being so steeply discounted, even though it's, like, the number one Chinese food book on Amazon. "Not sure why, but Amazon just upped the discount on The Fortune Cookie Chronicles from 34% to 40%." [Fortune Cookie Chronicles]
Book-pimping Times reporter Jennifer 8. Lee is confused about why her book is being so steeply discounted, even though it's, like, the number one Chinese food book on Amazon. "Not sure why, but Amazon just upped the discount on The Fortune Cookie Chronicles from 34% to 40%." [Fortune Cookie Chronicles]
struggling writers
Tina Fey Would Like To Take You Home With Her
30 Rock producer and star Tina Fey has two Emmys, a Golden Globe and a baby delivered during a 43-day maternity leave from her last job, head writer for Saturday Night Live. She is all of 37 years old so of course she's racing to ensure she doesn't end up an impoverished failure, or at least that's what she said in Parade magazine this past weekend. "I'm here laboring over this tiny show so much, and around me people are making money by the fistful," Fey said. To squeeze producing, acting and parenting into one life, Fey takes her work home with her. "We wrap shooting on a normal day by 7 p.m.," Fey told Parade. "Most times, I then bring three or four writers home with me. I'll put Alice to bed before they come over, then we continue writing until I can no longer stay awake." Fey once woke up in the morning to find writers in her living room, still at work. Slave driver! But, honestly, who wouldn't line up for the chance to come home with Tina Fey, even if it involved grueling laptop work? After the jump, an excerpt from the Ask Tina feature on NBC.com, in which Fey reveals how inviting people home is a deeply-ingrained writing strategy for her: More »
struggling writers
How To Game Stephen Colbert, By Jennifer 8. Lee
When Times reporter Jennifer 8. Lee worked out of the Washington, DC bureau, she became famous for hosting a blizzard of parties that upended the beltway social scene and no doubt required a tremendous supply of energy on Lee's part. The writer put no less work into her appearance on Comedy Central's Colbert Report to promote her book on Chinese food. To prepare for the five-minute appearance with tricky, tongue-in-cheek host Stephen Colbert, Lee consulted with at least four buddies — Daily Show writer Rachel Axler, Lee friend "Dana," an unnamed Random House editor and Lee friend "Alexis." Their overwhelming advice? Don't try to be funny, and for the most part Lee didn't. But she did study some talking points, presented along with video of her on the show after the jump. More »
craigslist
Writer Seeks "Vengeful" Boy For, Uh, "Movies"
One has to be something of a glutton for punishment to try making any sort of living as a writer, particularly in New York. But this Craigslist ad from a 33-year-old fashion scribbler at a "major" magazine takes it to extremes. Not only is he on the hunt for a college boy 13 years his junior, but the kid should be "serious/funny, intelligent/ditzy, kind/sarcastic" and "sweet/vengeful." Buddy, make/up your/mind. Also, don't drop in a word like "vengeful" and then try and say you just want to "hang out," go to movies and try new restaurants. The more-insane-than-usual Craigslist ad: More »
struggling writers
Kanye West, Loser Fashion Blogger
Kanye West does not just rap, write books and honor his dead mother, he is also a very active fashion blogger, but for some reason the fashion world is just cruel in return. Partly it's because they maybe misinterpret his praise as criticism, like when he awarded the "illest shoe award" to some Balenciaga sandals and then couldn't get into their show. Other times designers turn down his fashion show ticket requests because, West speculated in the Times, his massive stardom would overwhelm their shows. Luckily Stella McCartney and Viktor & Rolf aren't haters like that, but it's still kind of sad and warped that a Grammy-awad-winning musician is scraping for a fraction of the respect afforded to, say, BrianBoy. It's not like West isn't enthusiastic about the trade. Here are some recent designs that, West wrote on his blog, are to die for: More »
struggling writers
Julia Allison's Moaning Neighbors Ruin Her On Sex
Julia Allison may have made her name writing about sex and flaunting her sexuality, and perhaps she even just yesterday posted on her blog the picture at left, of her spanking a waxed and bethonged hunk, under the headline "What I Really Want For My Birthday." But that doesn't mean she wants your gross sexuality all up in her face! For example, her married-and-pregnant neighbors horrified her just last night by having sex in a most indiscreet manner: More »
struggling writers
