Texas Pages

All those daunting numbers probably made it seem as if your odds of becoming a published author are only slightly more likely than your odds of seeing the 1,000,000,000 Euro Lottery Winnings promised you by that guy in Nigeria.

What's a would-be writer to do?

To help answer that question, the Writers' League of Texas brought in all kinds of people to talk about the business end of things, where humble books editors rarely tread. One of the more helpful speakers I saw was Ted Weinstein of San Francisco, who spoke about writing a book proposal.

For the uninitiated -- and that would include me -- he explained that a book proposal is basically a business plan for your book. Who is your audience? How big is that audience? Which shelf in Barnes & Noble do you expect your book to end up on?

"This is a product," he said. "You have to think about who is going to buy the product."

And you have to make yourself a brand.

"It feels commercial. It feels corporate. It feels craven," he told the writers. "I'm sorry, but that's the way the world works."

I heard directly from Doug Valentine, whose video (mentioned here, but this link should take you directly there) still needs to be viewed by anyone who has used or abused a librarian, or just read "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse."

Doug says he and his wife (and co-star) Karen will both be working at McKillop Elementary in Melissa next year. (She has been in Melissa for two years, and he has spent the past four in the Richardson system.)

I asked him how the video came about. He writes:

After reading the Harry Potter prequel, I realized how much I miss the series. It doesn't take a genius to see the influence it had on culture from the spawn of a genre of music (Wizard rock) to giving ten-year-olds the hopes that a letter would come for them via owl on their next birthday.

There is no mistaking the intricacy of the world created by J.K. Rowling or how someone lose themselves in it. However, I was slightly disappointed that it didn't reveal anything new.

The disclaimer at the end of the short story clearly states that Rowling is not currently working on a full length book but I'm sure I'm not the only one who love to see just one more installment to show how it all began.

Share what you think about the subject. How do you imagine the Harry Potter prequel would begin. Do you think another book should be written at all?

I found this article about scientists who have used astronomy to peg a date for Odysseus' homecoming to be intriguing.

But what really gave me pause, in a pre-coffee sort of way, was the auto-generated option at the bottom of the page inviting me to sign up for breaking news alerts on ... Homer.

What would that be like?

"This just in -- the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, was adopted by Angelina Jolie today ... a Japanese automaker and the Odysseus family have struck a long-term naming rights agreement; new 'Honda Telemachus' minivan will debut in fall. ... "

Like I said, this was before coffee.

Here's some of what's new this week:

*TailSpin, by Catherine Coulter (Putnam, $25.95). The 12th entry in her FBI Thriller series.
* Brida, by Paulo Coelho (Harper, $24.95). Follows a young Irish girl on a quest to learn about the spiritual world.
* Undead and Unworthy, by MaryJanice Davidson (Berkley, $23.95). The seventh book featuring vampire queen Betsy Taylor.
* America America, by Ethan Canin (Random House, $27). Follows a working-class boy in the 1970s who unwittingly joins a senator's campaign for president.
* The Last Oracle, by James Rollins (Morrow, $26.95). Chronicles a plot by rogue scientists to bioengineer a new prophet.
* Rogue, by Danielle Steel (Delacorte, $27). Tells the story of a woman who divorces her rich husband and takes their children.
* Moving Forward: Taking the Lead in Your Life, by Dave Pelzer (Center Street, $22.99). Offers advice on using negative past experiences for a positive purpose.