A Silly Mid-Week Writing Lesson ALA Disney

Leave it to Buzzfeed to take everything I studied about literature for so many years of my life and compare it to Disney films. LOL Love it.

Ahh if only everything in life could have a Disney-related glossary....

1. Theme

Definition: A common thread or repeated idea that is incorporated throughout a literary work.
Example: “True love conquers all” is the main theme of Sleeping Beauty.

Source: Disney  /  via: lauraestaceysofficialblog.wordpress.com

2. Symbolism

Definition: An object, character, figure, or color that is used to represent an abstract idea or concept.
Example: Dumbo’s “magic” feather represents courage and self-confidence. Once he truly believes in himself, he no longer needs it as a psychological crutch.

Source: Disney  /  via: scienceblogs.com

3. Dramatic Irony

Definition: Irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the literary work.
Example: Throughout most of The Lion King, Simba mopes around feeling guilty for his father’s death, unaware (as the audience is) that Scar actually killed Mufasa.

Source: Disney  /  via: fanpop.com

4. Archetype

Definition: A constantly recurring symbol or motif in literature, painting, or mythology.
Example: Alice must pass a series of tests as she makes her way through Wonderland. This kind of journey is a common archetype in Western literature and is best epitomized by Homer’s The Odyssey.

Source: Disney  /  via: thehollywoodnews.com

5. Foil

Definition: A character who illuminates the qualities of another character by means of contrast.
Example: Gaston’s combination of good looks and terrible personality emphasizes Beast’s tragic situation. The former is a monster trapped inside a man; the latter a man trapped inside a monster.

Source: Disney  /  via: wakingsnowwhite.blogspot.com

6. Allusion

Definition: A brief reference in a literary work to a person, place, thing, or passage in another literary work, usually for the purpose of associating the tone or theme of the one work with the other.
Example: In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the gargoyle Laverne tells a flock of pigeons to “Fly my pretties! Fly, Fly!” à la the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.

Source: Disney  /  via: bslcrane.blogspot.com

7. Foreshadowing

Definition: A warning or indication of a future event.
Example: Before she’s fatally shot by a hunter (and millions of childhoods are scarred), Bambi’s mother gives Bambi a stern lecture on the dangers of man.

Source: Disney  /  via: themanwhonevermissed.blogspot.com

8. Mood

Definition: The atmosphere that pervades a literary work with the intention of evoking a certain emotion or feeling from the audience.
Example: Fantasia frequently uses music and setting to drastically shift the mood from light and playful to dark and foreboding.

Source: Disney  /  via: filmfanatic.org

9. Breaking the Fourth Wall

Definition: Speaking directly to or acknowledging the audience. The “fourth wall” refers to the imaginary “wall” at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theater.
Example: Timon acknowledges the audience when he cuts off Pumbaa midsong: “Pumbaa, not in front of the kids!”

Source: fuckyeahdisneymoments.tumblr.com

10. Exposition

Definition: The portion of a story that introduces important background information to the audience — for example, information about the setting, events occurring before the main plot, characters’ backstories, etc.
Example: At the beginning of Robin Hood, the rooster Alan-a-Dale describes how Robin Hood has been robbing from the rich to give to Nottingham’s poor.

Source: Disney  /  via: thecomixverse.com

11. Conflict

Definition: An inherent incompatibility between the objectives of two or more characters or forces.
Example: When Shere Khan the man-eating tiger returns to the jungle, Mowgli must flee to the safety of human civilization.

Source: Disney  /  via: dettoldisney.wordpress.com

12. Climax

Definition: The turning point in the action (also known as the “crisis”) and/or the highest point of interest or excitement.
Example: Pinocchio is transformed into a donkey and sold into labor before he saves Geppetto and proves himself worthy of being a real boy.

Source: Disney  /  via: ljrpaideia.blogspot.com

13. Anagnorisis

Definition: The recognition or discovery by the protagonist of the identity of some character or the nature of his own predicament, which leads to the resolution of the plot.
Example: Arthur, thinking he’s just a lowly squire, has no idea he’s the rightful heir to the throne until he pulls the sword from the stone.

Source: Disney  /  via: gengame.net

14. Poetic Justice

Definition: A device in which virtue is ultimately rewarded or vice punished, often by an ironic twist of fate intimately related to the character’s own conduct.
Example: Jafar is so power hungry he fails to realize that becoming a genie will cost him his freedom.

Source: Disney  /  via: disneyvillains.wikia.com

15. Deus Ex Machina

Definition: An unexpected power or event saving a hopeless situation, especially as a plot device in a play or novel, from the Latin “a god from a machine.”
Example: In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Evil Queen is about to kill the dwarfs when a bolt of lightning comes out of nowhere, knocking her off the mountain to her death.

Source: Disney  /  via: disney.wikia.com

16. Denouement

Definition: The final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are resolved.
Example: At the end of The Little Mermaid, Ursula is killed, King Triton turns Ariel into a human, and Ariel marries Prince Eric. Then Sebastian sings over the closing credits. WIN.

See the original post HERE

Self-Publishing Strategy: HAVE ONE.

As the self-publishing world grows and grows there is more and more research to be done before taking the leap. What self-pub platform to use, what retailers to target, if you should use a distributor, print and eBook or eBook-only--the list of non-editorial decisions is longer than I am tall. Then there are the editorial ones--the cover, the blurb, the content itself. So. Many. THINGS.

While some self-published authors are doing fabulously, though, a lot of them don't get the reception they were hoping for in this crazy market. Kristen Lamb over at Warrior Writers today took a look at some of the reasons why in her post "Freedom isn’t Free—5 Common Tactical Errors in Self-Publishing." Her thoughts are insightful (and true, if you ask me) and can help any author thinking about self-publishing determine if they are prepared, even with just the basics:

[...] 

Tactical Error #1 Publishing Too Soon
The problem with the ease of self-publishing is that it is, well, too easy. When we are new, frankly, most of us are too dumb to know what we don’t know. Just because we made As in English, does not automatically qualify us to write a work spanning 60-100,000 words.
Too many new writers do not properly understand the antagonist. They don’t grasp three-act structure, and most don’t have any idea what I mean when I mention POV, Jungian archetypes, or the phrase, “scene and sequel.” 

[...] I see a lot of new writers who believe their story is the exception, that the rules make for “formulaic” writing. No, rules are there for a reason, and, if the writing is too formulaic, it has more to do with execution than the rules. 

Three-act structure has been around since Aristotle, and there is a lot of evidence in neuroscience that suggests that three-act structure is actually hard-wired into the human brain. Thus, when we deviate too far from three-act structure, it confuses and frustrates readers. 

Stories have clear beginnings, middles and ends. 

Yes, we are artists, but we need to understand the fundamentals. I played clarinet for years, and yes it was an art. But this didn’t excuse me from having to learn to read music, the finger positions and proper embouchure (the way to position the mouth to play). 

The better we are at the basics, the better we know the rules, the more we become true artists. 

I’ve received contest winners whose first pages were filled with newbie errors. Yet, when I sent them my critique filled with pages of corrections, I would then receive a reply telling me that the book had already been self-published. 

OUCH. 

Sometimes there are reasons we are being rejected and we need to take a hard look and be honest. Self-publishing is suffering a stigma from too many writers publishing before they’re ready. If you really want to self-publish, I’m here to support you and cheer you all the way, but remember, we have to write better than the traditional authors. 

Tactical Error #2 No Prepared Platform 

The day we decide to do this writing thing for real is the day we need to start creating a platform and brand. Even traditional authors goof this up. I cannot count how many times I get a message saying, “Hey, I have a book coming out next month. I need to do social media. Can you help?” 

Seriously? O_o 

I’m Kristen Lamb, not Harry Potter. 

Tactical Error #3 Believing that, “If We Write it They Will Come” 

There are a lot of writers who mistakenly believe that self-publishing is an easier and faster way to fame and success. Yeah, um no. And those magic beans are really just beans. 

Sorry. I was bummed, too. 

Self-publishing is A LOT of work, especially if we are starting out this way. I know Bob Mayer and Joe Konrath lecture writers to do less social media and more writing. To an extent I agree, but here is the thing. These guys were branded traditional authors who could slap New York Times Best-Selling in front of their names when they decided to go it alone. 

If you can’t slap New York Times Best-Selling in front of your name and upload a NY vetted backlist longer than your arm? Prepare for a ton of work. 

Tactical Error #4 Misusing FREE! 

There are a lot of problems with giving books away for FREE! We shouldn’t be giving away our work unless it serves some kind of a strategic advantage. There are ways to effectively harness they power of FREE! but too few writers understand how to do this and they just end up giving away their art for no tangible gain. 

Tactical Error #5 Shopping One Book to DEATH 

One of the BIGGEST problems I see with self-published writers is that they publish one book and then they focus every bit of energy on selling THAT book. 

They fill up #MyWANA and all the writing hashtags with link spam promoting their books. They keep futzing with the cover, the web site, the promotions. They do blog tours until they drop, and they do everything except what is going to help that book sell a ton of copies…write more books. 

Here’s the thing. Self-publishing, in many ways, just allows us to accelerate the career path of the author. Even in traditional publishing, it usually takes about three books to gain traction. In traditional publishing, this takes three years because we are dealing with a publisher’s schedule. 

In self-publishing, we can make our own schedule, but it still takes THREE BOOKS MINIMUM. I know there are exceptions, but most self-published successes hit at about book three. The ability to offer multiple titles is a huge part of why John Locke became successful. 

This is why it is critical to keep writing. Not only will writing more books make you a better writer, but once people discover they love your writing, they have a number of titles to purchase. Being able to offer multiple titles is how we make money at self-publishing. It also helps us maximize the whole FREE! tactic. 

Yesterday, I bought six books (1,500 pages) of research. I just published my latest book five days ago…and I’m starting on my next book. Goal is to have the first draft completed by August. I don’t tell you guys to do anything that, I myself, am unwilling to do. 

Remember Why We Do This 

Self-publishing is a wonderful alternative. Just because we self-publish doesn’t mean we cannot publish other ways, too. I feel the author of the future will actually be a hybrid author, and I do believe that the ability to self-publish is challenging all of us to come up higher. We are striving to be better writers, to be better entrepreneurs, to get better at organization and time-management and to write more books and better books. If we can learn from these mistakes and grow, then the future is ours for the taking. 

See the complete original post HERE

Kristen's site is a great place for writers to get some handy tips (and a good laugh--she's a funny one!), so be sure to check it out. Her newest book, Rise of the Machines--Human Authors in a Digital World, is on sale for $7.04 at the moment to celebrate Independence Day.

Paula Deen Media Stir Gets Hotter

News has been flying about Paula Deen the past couple weeks. The famous southern foodie has been getting a lot of flak for using the "N-word" once when she was growing up, information that surfaced while Deen was giving a deposition for a lawsuit against her for racism.

Not only has the incident caused her show to be dropped by the Food Network, and other deals suspended, but now even more peeps are joining in the blackballing. Like the publisher of her upcoming cookbook, who just yesterday announced that they were canceling her contract. The New York Times tells us more:

Paula Deen got a rare bit of good news on Thursday: Her new cookbook hit No. 1 on the best-seller list at Amazon.com, as thousands of fans — many of them springing to her defense as she faces accusations of racism — ordered the book months before its October release. 

But on Friday, its publisher, Random House, said it would not publish the cookbook, and would cancel a five-book contract it signed with Ms. Deen last year. 

The book deal was one of the last remaining lucrative business relationships for the embattled celebrity chef. Its cancellation came on a day when Sears, Kmart and J. C. Penney announced that they would stop selling products, including cookbooks, branded with her name. 

Since last week, the Food Network, Smithfield Foods, Walmart, Target, Caesars Entertainment, QVC and the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk have decided to suspend or sever ties with Ms. Deen after her admission in a legal deposition that she had used racist language in the past and allowed racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic jokes in one of her restaurants. Ms. Deen was deposed on video as part of a discrimination lawsuit filed last year by a former employee. 

Her frantic efforts to stanch the flow of negative opinion by defending herself on the “Today” show and posting apologetic videos on YouTube have rallied many of her admirers. They have threatened boycotts of Walmart, created a “We Support Paula Deen” Facebook page that has well over half a million “likes,” and started a campaign to flood the Food Network offices with empty butter wrappers, a symbol of Ms. Deen’s indulgent cooking style. 

But these efforts have not, apparently, made a difference to Ms. Deen’s corporate partners.
Stuart Applebaum, a spokesman for Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, said in a statement Friday afternoon, “After careful consideration, Ballantine Books has made the difficult decision to cancel the publication of ‘Paula Deen’s New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up.’  

The book, co-written by Melissa Clark, a dining columnist for The New York Times, was to feature lighter fare than the fat- and sugar-laden recipes Ms. Deen has promoted in previous books and on her television shows. 

A person with knowledge of Random House’s decision to cancel the contract said, “When Walmart, Target and J. C. Penney all announced they are discontinuing their Paula Deen business, including books, it is awfully tough to stay the course of a publication. It was a business decision.” 

Ms. Deen has published 14 cookbooks, starting in 1998 with “The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.” Together, they have sold more than eight million copies.
But many of the sales outlets that normally sell thousands of Ms. Deen’s books — like Walmart, Target, Kmart and QVC — would have refused to carry the new one. 

Random House would not disclose the amount Ms. Deen was to be paid, but a person with knowledge of the contract said it involved millions of dollars. It is unclear whether Ms. Deen will have to return any of it, or whether a clause in the contract would allow the publisher to cancel the pact because of Ms. Deen’s behavior. 

“That’s why God invented lawyers,” said Mr. Applebaum. 

On Thursday, the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk said it was suspending its use of Ms. Deen as a spokeswoman for the drug. The company, which has the top-selling portfolio of diabetes medications in the United States, has reached out vigorously to black Americans in its marketing and medical sponsorships. 

Ms. Deen began a multiplatform campaign to promote the drug on the same day last year she revealed she had Type 2 diabetes. That set off public criticism that she had misserved her audience. She had received the diagnosis two years earlier, yet had continued to promote recipes high in sugar and fat. 

Didra Brown Taylor, the executive director of the Beautyshop Project, a national diabetes screening initiative that offers free blood tests in hair salons in low-income neighborhoods, said that Ms. Deen’s conflict of interest was noted by program participants at the time, and that the current crisis had confirmed many in their beliefs that Ms. Deen might be more opportunistic than honest. 

“She was cooking food that a diabetic would not eat,” Ms. Taylor said. “And to profit from that and then to profit from a diabetes drug, that’s hypocrisy.” 

She said African-Americans were unlikely to forget Ms. Deen’s more recent admission that she used racial epithets. “It’s more than a rumor,” Ms. Taylor said. “She can’t say that she didn’t say it.” 

See the original post HERE

I, personally, am horrified about how the media is handling this situation. From what I've heard, the prejudicial speech used by Deen was a long time ago, and a one-time thing, which when you are growing up in the South is kind of anticipated, to be honest. It's sad but true. We are a product of our upbringing, particularly when we are young, and then we start to grow and change and make up our own minds. 

I also don't think I know a single person who has never told an off-color, non-PC joke once or twice in their lives, or at least laughed at once. It doesn't make us prejudice. It makes us human.  In our society, there are stereotypes, whether we like it or not, and from all kinds of stereotypes come perhaps less-than-kosher humor. There's a line, of course, with what's lighthearted (like my just "less-than-kosher" descriptor. No harm intended and no harm done) and what is malicious. From what I know, Deen was not being malicious, and someone's intention is not to be ignored. People reacting on emotion and on fear, dropping support of someone because of something like this, is just not okay in my book. 

Double Vision Editorial Now Up and Running!

This past week has been a crazy one for me, getting all the finishing touches ready for my official Double Vision Editorial launch, as well as the usual editing jazz. But I've now got two edits down, two in progress, and a press release (below!) out to the world.

Though I've been freelance editing for six years now, I've got to say that it feels different having sent out my launch announcement. Nothing has really changed, but I feel like I'm now finally giving myself a true chance at success.

Working with authors (and being one myself) has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I used to play "publishing" with my Barbie dolls, dreaming of owning a publishing company where I could help writers make their books the best they can be (little did I know at the time, that was called editing). It's a scary thing, working for myself, not knowing where my next rent check or medical insurance bill is going to come from. But they say you should always at least try to follow your dreams, so this is me trying. Fingers crossed everything else just starts to fall into place. (With a ton of hard work and dedication, of course!)

June 28, 2013
Press Release

Danielle Poiesz, former Big-Six publishing industry professional, has officially launched her independent editorial company, Double Vision Editorial.

Aimed toward quality collaboration at fair prices, Danielle offers both book and non-book editorial services, including content editing, copy editing, and proofreading/cold reading for fiction, nonfiction, digital, educational, and technical projects. She is also trained in script/manuscript analysis, as well as the creation of various types of original content. Through Double Vision, Danielle hopes to share her knowledge and expertise in a way that helps writers, students, and businesses improve upon their original vision to create a finished product they can be proud to introduce to the world.

At Double Vision, we believe that just one pair of eyes is never enough. With the help of an imaginative and trained editorial specialist, an initial vision and inspiration can be amplified and deepened to give any project a broader appeal and brighter shine. But making it possible to perfect any project involves teamwork, mutual respect, trust, joint effort, and of course, creativity. The client-editor relationships brought about through Double Vision aim to be professional and personal partnerships that last for longer than just the course of a single project.

- DVE Philosophy

As owner and editorial guru of DVE, Danielle would love to work with you and yours on any of your editorial needs. Please visit her at http://www.doublevisioneditorial.com for more information, or feel free to email her directly at danielle@doublevisioneditorial.com.

http://www.doublevisioneditorial.com

Follow DVE at @DoubleVisionEds

Facebook Page Coming Soon!

Friday Fun with Books and Booze

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is read outdoors, a cold drink in hand. Sometimes alcoholic, sometimes not. ;)

For those of you with a similar inclination, Kirkus has compiled a list of the "Best Summer Books and Their Corresponding Drinks" (article reposted by the Huffington Post) for 2013:

We don’t condone drinking while reading, no sir. Or at least not when our reviewers are reading. Summer, a good book, alcohol: They go together well. Here’s our guide to books that won’t disappoint and what you might want to imbibe while reading them. 

• With some Pinot grigio: Maurizio de Giovanni's The Crocodile

• With a glass of sake: Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians

• With a whiskey on the rocks: Mark Mazzetti's The Way of the Knife

• With an American microbrewed beer: A.A. Gill's To America With Love

• With a Mexican martini: Philipp Meyer's The Son

• With Champagne: J. Courtney Sullivan's The Engagements

• With a martini: Sam Toperoff's Lillian and Dash

• With an entire bottle of the hard liquor of your choice: Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman's Louder than Hell

• With a glass or reduction of red wine: Kate Carlisle's A Cookbook Conspiracy

• With a frozen margarita: Will McIntosh's Love Minus Eighty

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FICTION

Released: July 2, 2013

 THE CROCODILE

by Maurizio de Giovanni, translated by Antony Shugaar

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"In this crisply translated novel, de Giovanni explores Lojacono's loneliness and vulnerability while simultaneously revealing his brilliance as a detective."

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A wonderfully suspenseful novel in which de Giovanni restores life to the cliché of the world-weary detective. Read full book review >

FICTION

Released: June 11, 2013

 CRAZY RICH ASIANS

by Kevin Kwan

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"An elegant comedy and an auspicious debut."

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Jane Austen, or maybe Edith Wharton, goes to Singapore, turning in this lively, entertaining novel of manners. Read full book review >

NONFICTION

Released: April 9, 2013

 THE WAY OF THE KNIFE: THE CIA, A SECRET ARMY, AND A WAR AT THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

by Mark Mazzetti

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"A well-reported, smoothly written book for anyone who wants to understand contemporary American military might and the widespread hatred for the U.S. that has been the result."

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Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times national security correspondent Mazzetti demonstrates in horrifying, persuasive detail how the new-style warfare approved by both George W. Bush and Barack Obama has led to controversial assassinations by the U.S. government and blowback yielding new terrorists determined to harm American citizens.Read full book review >

NONFICTION

Released: July 9, 2013

 TO AMERICA WITH LOVE

by A.A. Gill

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"A stirring, funny, thought-provoking appreciation of the place, the idea, the experiment, the United States of America."

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An ardent mash note to the vast, vital nation that confounds and beguiles its European cousins in equal measure. Read full book review > 

See the rest of the original post HERE

If you are dipping into some classics this summer, you might also like these recommendations from Flavorwire:

As the bookish among you are most likely aware, literature and liquor have gone hand in hand since time immemorial. But while we know which drinks our favorite authors liked to imbibe while creating, that’s not necessarily a good indication of which drinks are best to read their work by. We’ve already given you our suggestions on the cocktails you should pair with your favorite TV shows, but if you’re more likely to be curled up with a book than in front of the small screen this weekend, we have a few thoughts as to how to best keep the party going in your living room. Click through to read about the cocktails we would pair with ten of our favorite novels, and if you’ve found another winning combination, give us your own recommendations in the comments!

Lolita 

Amaretto Sour 

1 jigger amaretto almond liqueur
1 oz. lemon juice
maraschino cherries as desired
sugar to rim glass 

Though we were tempted to pick something bright red for our Lola, we think the Amaretto Sour might be her drink — sweet enough that she’d like it, serious enough that it would make her feel grown up. Not to mention the fact that that very tension between the playfully sweet and deadly serious also happens to be one of the joys of the novel — so why not indulge all the senses?

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 

Death in the Afternoon 

2 ounces absinthe
4 ounces Brut champagne 

We know this cocktail is a Hemingway classic, but come on — what better to fuel your trip down the rabbit hole than a hallucinogenic, celebratory mix of absinthe and champagne?

The Catcher in the Rye

Old Fashioned 

1 sugar cube
3 dashes Angostura bitters
dash of club soda
2 ounces rye whiskey
1 orange slice and/or 1 maraschino cherry 

We know Holden is a Scotch and Soda man himself, but it’s the Old Fashioned that most reminds us of existential angst and dark evenings in New York City in the fifties (or today, really). But don’t be a phony — only drink this if you’re a real whiskey fan.

The Great Gatsby 

French 75 

1 jigger dry gin
1 teaspoon simple syrup
the juice of 1/2 lemon
5 ounces Brut champagne 

While reading The Great Gatsby, you should really drink the cocktail that most lets you indulge in your own fancy 1920s fantasies — for us, it’s the oh-so-classy (and time period appropriate) French 75, which originated in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris. Yes, it’s ever so chic, my darling. Plus, you can thrill in solidarity with Fitzgerald — whose favorite drink was gin (harder to smell on the breath, you see).

See the rest of the original post HERE

Here are some of my own more commercially driven recommendations--because, come on, let's face it, we don't always want to read literary fiction while we sit back in the summer sunshine!

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas -- Enjoy a nice Firefly vodka and lemonade concoction, or opt for some non-alcoholic sweet tea.

Bite Me by Christopher Moore -- With a Bloody Mary, of course! Or just some healthy V8. ;)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien -- Some good old mead would make this family-friendly tale, much less child-focused.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella -- Try a classic '20s cocktail like the fun and flirty Mary Pickford.

Shake, Stir, Whatever. Just enjoy!

An Inky Obsession Those Literary Tattoos

Dinner is in the oven, the wine has been poured, and all I can do is WATCH THIS VIDEO posted on YouTube by Buzzfeed:

A-MAZ-ING. My personal faves are the ones for Peter Pan and The Tempest.

But while Buzzfeed just posted this video yesterday, this isn't the first time they broached the subject of literary tattoos. In March 201, they shared a list of “20 Awesome Literary Tattoos.”

Among those on display are the following:

Samuel Beckett's The Unnamable

Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree

Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five

If only all tattoos were this meaningful...

(Mine are, but I've seen some doozies! :-p)


Thanks go out to GalleyCat for giving me the heads up on this one!

Penguin Gives BEA-Goers Sneak Peek at Book Truck

Last week, Penguin introduced the public to a very fun new concept at BEA. As a way of selling books to the masses in a manner similar to the ever-popular food trucks, Penguin will be launching their brand-new book truck on a cross-country journey.

GalleyCat tells us more:

The 27-foot-long Book Truck contains two bookshelves with 96 feet of shelf space, LED lighting, awnings and café tables and chairs. The Book Pushcart was “inspired by the design of the classic New York City hotdog cart.”  The mobile booksellers will travel the country, you can track them at the Penguin Book Truck site. Here’s more from the release:

The Penguin Book Pushcart will be at the Delecorte Theater in New York City’s Central Park for performances at the 2013 season of Shakespeare in the Park.  The Penguin Book Truck and Pushcart will also visit the American Library Association Conference in Chicago, “Tom Sawyer Day” at the Mark Twain house in Hartford, CT and numerous other bookstores, festivals, library events and author signings throughout the year.  In October, in conjunction with the National Steinbeck Center’s kickoff of the 75th Anniversary of the publication of John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath, (published by Penguin) the Penguin Book Truck will travel West on Route 66 from Oklahoma to California, following the route of the fictional Joad Family and stopping at numerous museums, universities and historical sites along the way.   

See the original post HERE 

I've gotta say, I'm pretty stoked about this idea (though it's not the first time the concept has been employed. Book Riot has a fun post about the history HERE).

It reminds me of the good ole days when the Scholastic Book Fair came to town. A bookmobile like this can be not only a great marketing tool with the buzz and build-up of excitement as people await the truck's arrival in their hometown, but it's a way to hand-sell books again, to get people excited about reading (and reading in print).

Of course, the idea does pose a few concerns in terms of getting the truck stocked and with a varied enough inventory, but those kinks can be worked out. ;)

I just hope they take the book truck to the beach!