4.18.2008

Ooops!

Eeek, it's been a whole week. I swore I wouldn't do that to you again, and then look what happens! Bad Maughta! No biscuits for you. Erm...me. Damn, third person fucks me up again! This always happens late on Friday.

Okay, I'm waffling because, quite frankly, I don't actually have a book to post right now. Maybe tomorrow? I promise!!!

But I do have news! Everyone once in a while things happen in my life that have nothing to do with book covers (say it ain't so!). Mostly it's weird things happening at the reference desk. You ever want to see crazy people go to your downtown library on a full moon and watch the folks who come to the reference desk. Of course, you'll be one of the weirdos hanging out in the library on a full moon, too, so watch out! Anyway, I've decided to revive an old blog of mine, I Hate Asheville. Here you will find my various musings. Enjoy!

Since I've denied you a chance to laugh at bad book covers, here's my gift to you: The enormously funny "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. It's my new "favorite" blog! No, really, it is!

Also, since I've let the cat out of the bag that I'm here in the lovely town of Asheville (note to stalkers and secret admirers: I like chocolate), I figure it's a good time to invite all my closest readers to meet me and DocTurtle (if I can convince him) at Burgermeister on Haywood Road in West Asheville on Sunday, May 4th at 1:30pm for burgers, beers, and a big ole basket of onion rings. Drop me a line if you can make it!

And finally, on a more personal note, I've recently (after thirty some odd years) discovered my dream job. Did you know there's a thing called "Publisher's Reader?" I didn't! Apparently publishing people will pay someone to read their slush piles. Holy shit! Get paid to read? Sign me up! So if any of my publishing readers have some manuscripts just dyin' to be read, let me know. I prefer fantasy and mysteries and things I don't have to think to much to read (ugh, philosophy, yuck!), but I'll read anything that's fiction. Plus I work cheeeep!

14 comments:

JackiAnne said...

Sign me up too! I'd love to get paid to read. I'm going to have to look into this...

Anonymous said...

You hate Asheville?

Picture this: My husband and I moved to Boone NC from London UK.

Sometimes we drive over to Ashville just to see a teenager with pink hair and a pierced eyebrow. sigh.

Also I once applied for a job at the BBC which basically involved reading books and then saying "I think this would be a good TV show."

Miss Maggie said...

Jen,

I think I would, quite possibly, kill for that job.

Stop in and say hi when you're next in need of an alternative fix. I'll be one of the masses with a nose piercing and tattoos.

Anonymous said...

I would love to come to meet you but unfortunately it's 6 hours at least to where you are from where I am, and as it is, I'm not even brave enough to attempt to drive my car to the Wal-mart about a mile away. Enjoy a cheeseburger for me!

I can't wait to read new entries on books! I love the I hate Asheville blog as well, thinking of starting one called "Stupid Stories People Tell me in the Office or Elevators on Campus." Hmm.

And of course, the unnecessary quotations being a particular fav of mine, the best I've seen are "'Please' don't park here." or "Must be '21' to enter." or "Now, if they're 'unconscious'..."

Anonymous said...

Burgermeister definitely beats my original plan of wandering around the library, asking random people if they're Maughta. I may have to work that day, but if I can make it, sounds like fun.

Michael Croft said...

M. I know a guy who does this. According to him, the slush-pile is what it is because it's not readable. Talented authors get an agent, who reads lots and lots of three page snippets, followed by partial manuscripts, followed by full manuscripts, and goes and sees real decision makers at the publishers and tries to sell the book.

Stuff thrown over the transome at the publishing house is not good enough to get past the agents.

An anyone wishing to know more about the agentin' life should read My friend Jenn's journal: Et in arcaedia, ego. It might keep you away from the slush pile...

Snow said...

Argh! I was really hopeful that I could pull a "surprise" visit on you and show up for (a) burger and (lots of) BEER. Sadly, I have to be at work on 5 May and travel from BF-Texas to BF-North Carolina is not instantaneous.

Anonymous said...

I would love to have a burger with you and Doc and various other blog loving people, but I really don't think you would want your mother there. Besides, I have no piecings or tattoos. Oh well, have fun meeting all your fans, of which I am one. Maughtamom.

the.effing.librarian said...

for Phallic Phriday, did you read the Unshelved BEA strip, http://www.unshelved.com/wwdd@bea.pdf ?

Look at page 10 for the cover of Flame of Passion's Flame... a little phallic, or not?

Anonymous said...

Um...so, right after I left your site, I stumbled across this. I know it's a video and not a book but it is TERRIFYING!!!

http://www.itsonlyamovie.co.uk/COVERS%203/INSEMINOID%20UNRATED%20VHS.jpg

writtenwyrdd said...

Maught, I was thinking of looking up a slushpile reading job just this morning. And then I find your post. Coincidence? I think not!

'Fraid I can't meet you for onion rings and beer. A bit too far away from Maine.

Miss Maggie said...

Looks like I will be eating an onion ring in everyone's honor. Mmmmm, onion rings...

Anonymous said...

Get paid to read slush piles, eh? Perhaps it's time to reconsider librarianship ...

Cedar said...

I'm a little late to the game here, but I interned at a publishing house, where 70% of my work was reading the slush pile, and I have to say--it kind of sucked. Good authors use an agent, or talk directly with the editor. I can recall, in the five months I was there, reading one truly good collection of poetry (it was this book, by the way--we ended up not publishing it, so I'm glad she found someone
http://www.amazon.com/Souvenir-Constantinople-Donna-Stonecipher/dp/0967985455/ref=pd_sim_b_title_1)
and maybe a dozen decent, but not outstanding novels/books of short stories.