Monthly Archives: August 2012

Doshin: the Samurai Police

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Susan Spann

Many people express surprise upon hearing that many cities in Medieval Japan had organized police forces on patrol. During the samurai era, the Shogun and the Daimyo (essentially “warlord”) in command of lesser territories often employed samurai policemen to protect … Continue reading →

Posted in Shinobi Mysteries, Shiny Dinglehoppers | 2 Comments

Wednesday … with Writers in the Storm!

Posted on August 29, 2012 by Susan Spann

I’m blogging over at Writers in the Storm today, launching my parallel series on writing an author business plan. Hop over there and say hello, and we’ll return to our regularly scheduled publishing law series on marketing and author business … Continue reading →

Posted in #PubLaw, Guest Posts | 2 Comments

The Importance of Writers’ Conferences

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Susan Spann

As autumn approaches, writers’ conference season continues apace. The “season” itself kicks off in May, with a range of conferences continuing through the summer and autumn seasons. If you write you should attend conferences – even if it’s only once … Continue reading →

Posted in Running Amok | Comments Off

On Pre-Release Marketing Mountain – Author Business Plans, Part 3

Posted on August 22, 2012 by Susan Spann

Welcome back to our continuing Wednesday #PubLaw series on Author Business Plans! If you missed Part 1 (the Overview) or Part 2 (Writing the Dreaded Synopsis) the links will take you there. Today we’re looking at Part 3 of the … Continue reading →

Posted in #PubLaw, Publishing Business | 4 Comments

Fun With Thing 1

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Susan Spann

Thing 1 is an eight-inch female banded pipefish: I purchased her (along with her mate, Thing 2) about 18 months ago, shortly after cycling my 60 gallon marine aquarium and setting up the reef. Blending different species of sygnathids (the … Continue reading →

Posted in Something's Fishy Here | Comments Off

Shiny Dinglehoppers: Kimono-esque Verisimilitude

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Susan Spann

I’m a fan of verisimilitude in novels, particularly when it comes to historical detail. Although the plots and characters in my novels are (mostly) fictitious, I try to stick as close to “reality” as possible when it comes to “sets … Continue reading →

Posted in Shiny Dinglehoppers | 4 Comments

An Interview With Joanne Levy

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Susan Spann

Please help me welcome Joanne Levy, author of the recently-released SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE. (Bloomsbury, 2012) I first met Joanne through her posts at The Debutante Ball, and more recently met her personally when I was invited to join the … Continue reading →

Posted in Author Interviews | 13 Comments

All’s Fair in Love and War – But Not in Copyright Law

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Susan Spann

Today, I’m honored to introduce a guest post by fellow publishing attorney Kelley Way. Like me, Kelley practices intellectual property and publishing law here in California (though unlike me she handles litigation as well as transactional matters).  And, also like … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Posts, Publishing Law | 1 Comment

How to Write the Dreaded Synopsis (Author Business Plans, Part 2)*

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Susan Spann

Today we continue our ongoing series on author business plans (for independent and traditional authors) with a look at Section 2 of the Business Plan: Writing The Business Description. We’re skipping over the Executive Summary for now because it’s easiest … Continue reading →

Posted in #PubLaw, Publishing Business | Comments Off

Shake it to the Left!

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Susan Spann

August 13 is official “International Left-Handers’ Day” – and as a left-handed person, I’m ready to celebrate! In every way except writing, I’m actually more ambidextrous – my father didn’t know how to throw a baseball left-handed, so he taught … Continue reading →

Posted in Anything for a Party | 4 Comments