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I just finished reading a book called “Free” by Chris Anderson. (Ironically, it retails for $15.99.) As usual, I digress. The main premise of “Free” is that the Internet has made it feasible to give away intellectual and creative content because the cost of doing so is close to zero. This is a radical concept…

Years ago, I worked at a crappy radio station with a guy who had a great voice and knew more about 1950s and 1960s rock ‘n’ roll than anyone I’ve ever met. Had he possessed an ounce of ambition, he could have been the next Wolfman Jack or Casey Kasem. Instead, he was perfectly happy…

My new best friend, business writer and original thinker Seth Godin, has precisely captured my current views on writing and publishing. And he’s accomplished this in just a few simple sentences. My only regret is that I didn’t come up with it first: Publishing books to make money… is a little like hanging out in…

A young woman I work with uses the word “random” a lot, often in the context, “Here’s a random question.” What I think she means is “unexpected” or “out of left field.” Technically, not “random” but close enough for government (or even marketing) work. I thought of this as I was reading “The Drunkard’s Walk,”…

Last weekend, I attended Jami Carpenter’s editing workshop at the Clark County Library on Flamingo. Jami’s a good friend and a professional editor for Stephens Press, one of our only credible local publishers. Her presentation reminded me (and the other fifty or so folks in the audience) why writers should never go it alone. Remember…

I overbooked myself and scheduled two appearances this weekend. The first one is 11 a.m. Saturday, April 10 at the Clark County Library (known to locals as “the Flamingo Library”), 1401 E. Flamingo. As part of the “Write On” lecture series, I’ll be discussing the pros and cons of the most popular publishing options, including…

My very first book signing took place at a Borders book store here in Las Vegas in 2002. I was geeked because, to my way of thinking, a real store signing made me a real author. That lasted all of three minutes, when a woman approached my little table near the front door and asked…

My friends at CityLife Books have released their second offering, “Blue Vegas,” a collection of short stories by P Moss. (Note to readers: This isn’t a typo. Moss doesn’t use punctuation.) Moss is the semi-legendary owner of the Double Down Saloon, arguably the coolest, most authentic drinking establishment in Las Vegas. Moss has obviously been…

My colleague, Megan Lane, is obsessed with business writer Seth Godin. Or, as we say at the office, she’s “ob-sethed.” Recently, she turned me on to one of Godin’s books, “The Dip.” After reading this short but powerful tome, I’m beginning to understand why Megan is so enamored of Godin’s brain (not a bad name…

I’ve noticed that novice (and sometimes not-so-novice) writers spend an inordinate amount of time and energy explaining the story’s theme or moral. In the writing biz, this is known as “on the nose.” It’s not a compliment. Sometimes it involves the writer explaining the same thing a dozen different ways. (Note: More is not a…