Archive for the ‘Publicity’ Category

Political Lit

It’s Election Day here in the United States, and although we’re not electing a new president this year, it’s still a big day for Americans. After all, one of the sparks that started the Revolutionary War was the colonists’ demand that there be “no taxation without representation.” And our representatives, of course, represent our votes.

So it’s a perfect day to revisit those Founding Fathers–and others–with our free Wikipedia Tour of the Presidents of the United States. From Washington to Obama these are the men who’ve made America what it is today. Go beyond the names you memorized in school and learn about the people who have been president.

Winners of the 50 Word Crime Noir Challenge

In September our Reader Challenge asked you to write a crime noir in 50 Words. Thanks to all who participated–so many of you submitted great mini-crime stories, making for a great challenge. Our guest judge James Ellroy just picked his three winners.

Without further ado, here, in no particular order, are the winning crime noirs. Congratulations! Each winner will receive a free signed copy of Blood’s a Rover, Ellroy’s new novel.

“Not What It Seemed” by seagoat
 I almost fell for the dame. She murdered Case and now she was going down. She yanked her little gun from her purse and fired. She was a lousy shot. I slugged her beautiful face. The wig flew off. I gaped. Then I kicked him in the crotch.

Untitled, by mstrust
“It’s done?” she asked.
He had a photo as proof. She looked closely. Held out a bag.
“Killing his girlfriend was cheaper.”
“You hired someone else?” He sounded hurt.
“Simple job,” she smiled.
He shook his head.
“Scorned women keep me in business.”
“Hits?”
“Arrests,” he said, pulling his badge.

“A Friend in Need” by snailgenie
In trouble again.
She wiped the rain out of her eyes, or was it tears?
He hesisted…
She wasn’t the brightest bulb, but then again, he often had a hangover.
He sighed and offered her his coat.
Later, he’d regret leaving his handcuffs in the pocket.

Read all the entries in our Reader Challenge forum.

Halloween Reads

The origins of All Hallow’s Eve go back to the Celts, whose autumn festival Samhain celebrates the end of the “lighter half” of the year and beginning of the “darker half.”

Come to the dark side with one of our spooky books. And have a very happy Halloween.

New Short Fiction by Laurel Dewey — Free on DailyLit

As we first mentioned in our newsletter, we’re excited to launch the first of five new novellas from Laurel Dewey, a fresh voice in crime writing. Unfinished Death, a novella written for DailyLit readers, features Dewey’s signature–and incredibly well-loved–heroine Denver Police Detective Jane Perry, a character who has had a striking impact on readers.

We’ve seen some comments from our own readers that show how well-loved Jane Perry is. Recently in our forums Lad525 said “I love the realness and straight talking attitude of her main character, Detective Jane Perry.” And Wildcat1733 was excited too:

“I just signed up with Daily Lit when I found out about them serializing original short stories by Laurel Dewey. Thank you! Thank you! I’ve read both Jane Perry novels (PROTECTOR and REDEMPTION) and devoured them. She has quickly become one of my top ten favorite writers. If you like your fiction gritty, creative, character-driven and thought-provoking, you too will LOVE Laurel Dewey’s stories.”

For her part, Dewey, who has said that Jane came to her, fully formed and “demanded that [Dewey] learn about her,” was surprised by how much her readers responded to Jane:

“I wasn’t prepared for was the massive connection Jane Perry would have with readers who ranged in age from fourteen to ninety. While her impatient, gritty, and often foul-mouthed behavior irritated some people, they also admitted that they couldn’t stop reading. The majority were drawn to Jane’s intelligence, compassion, intuition and brutal honesty, as well as the indelible impression she makes as a survivor….What was intriguing was that readers didn’t so much want to be like Jane; rather, they wanted to hang out with her.”

Unfinished Death–published for the first time on DailyLit–drops us into Jane’s world in the dark days before her first novel, Protector. We’ve been able to make this story–and the four novellas that will come out over the next four months–absolutely free thanks to the publisher, Storyplant, who’s counting down to the launch of Dewey’s book Redemption in February 2010. Enjoy!

If you’d like to read more about readers’ reactions to Jane Perry, visit Laurel Dewey’s site.

DailyLit News: October 2009

Note from the CEO
It’s a month of style, soup, and spooks.  Check out our new DailyLit Style line launching with Shoes, Bags and Tiaras featuring stunning objects from the Victoria & Albert museum collection. We’ve also got recipes from Molly Katzen (known for her bestselling Moosewood Cookbook); the spooky Legend of Sleepy Hollow as our new Big Read; oh, and for the beat of a different drummer, we’ve got a new memoir from Stewart Copeland, drummer for The Police.

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan [at] dailylit [dot] com

New! DailyLit Style Kicks off with Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras
We’ve created DailyLit Style to bring you fashion, art and style of all kinds. Kicking off this line is Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras featuring objects from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London sent directly to your inbox one gorgeous object at a time. Read it—FREE.

New Reads: Recipes, A Rocker, and More
—Get Cooking by Mollie Katzen: The author of the best-selling “Moosewood Cookbook” has just released a brand new collection of recipes, from Genuine Mac & Cheese to Chocolate-Peanut Butter Crunchy Things; we’ve got a taste for you. Read it—FREE.
—Strange Things Happen by Stewart Copeland: He’s the drummer for The Police, one of the most successful rock bands of all time. Find out what happened backstage, pictures and all. Read it—FREE.
—Unfinished Death by Laurel Dewey: In anticipation of the paperback release of Dewey’s detective novel, “Redemption,” each month we’re releasing one original, never before published story featuring her inimitable character, Jane Perry. Read this month’s story—FREE.

DailyLit’s Big Read: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
With Halloween approaching, we’ve made the classic short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow our next Big Read. Join us in following our hero Ichabod Crane into the dark, misty woods. Read it—FREE:

Reader Challenge: Tea with the Queen
As a tribute to the launch of “Shoes, Bags, and Tiaras” from the Victoria & Albert Museum collection, this month’s Reader Challenge will challenge you to invite an unlikely character for tea with the queen.  Describe this encounter in one sentence and post your royal responses in our Reader Challenge Forum. (For those of you who took part in last month’s challenge, winners will be announced shortly.)

Fresh Voices, Fresh Tastes
We’re proud to announce the launch of two series from our very own DailyLit Externs: Authors in the Kitchen by Megan Halpern features bestselling authors, including Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife), talking about cooking and the stories that spice it up. The Ghost in the Pantry by Erin Ferretti-Slattery features recipes and stories that highlight’s her own family’s rich history. Read Authors in the Kitchen or The Ghost in the Pantry—FREE.

DailyLit Selects (This Week: Malcolm Gladwell)
DailyLit Selects is our on-going series of excerpts from new and noteworthy authors. This week we’re featuring an excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell’s new book What the Dog Saw. You can also check out excerpts from Dan Brown’s new book and Oprah’s latest book club pick. Read DailyLit Selects—FREE.

DailyLit Launches DailyLit Style with V&A’s “Shoes, Bags and Tiaras”

I’m excited to announce two DailyLit firsts.  DailyLit has partnered with its first museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, to launch a series entitled Shoes, Bags and Tiaras. This series features (no surprise) a particular pair of shoes, bag, or tiara selected from V&A Publishing’s collection sent periodically to your inbox.

This series also launches DailyLit Style, a series dedicated to the engaging world of style in all its senses.  It’ll be a fun and quirky series meant to surprise and enlighten.  We’ll also look to our readers to suggest additions to DailyLit Style so if you have any ideas, please let us know here.

Stewart Copeland’s “Strange Things Happen” Free on DailyLit

As the drummer for the Police, Stewart Copeland has lived the life of a rockstar.  Strange Things Happen is his new memoir of the crazy days he’s experienced, and you can read it for FREE on DailyLit, thanks to its publisher, HarperStudio. The book includes Copeland’s memories, personal photographs, and, yes, stories about Sting.

Head backstage with Copeland. It’s a wild ride. Read Strange Things Happen–FREE.

Digital Publishing Group — New Talks Announced

The Digital Publishing Group, sponsored by DailyLit, is pleased to announce two new lunchtime talks that will take place in New York City later this month. The first will address the fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and how to make search engines like Google work for you. Book publicity and how to connect authors with online communities will also be discussed.

The second talk will explain the fundamentals of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and how publishers can use highly targeted SEM campaigns to drive online sales. The strategic use of social media to build long-term connections between authors and readers will also be discussed.

Both talks will be given by Hanny Hindi, an SEO/SEM expert at Clickable.

You can sign up for these free talks here. The Digital Publishing Group can also be found on Twitter using hashtag #digpub.

DailyLit News: September 2009

Note from the CEO
I’m thrilled to announce that DailyLit has delivered over 25 million book installments! To celebrate, we’re launching the DailyLit Selects excerpt program starting with an excerpt from Dan Brown’s new book. We’re also celebrating Darwin’s 150th anniversary with this month’s Big Read, and we’re releasing David Wellington’s 30 stories in 30 days–all available for FREE.

Susan Danziger
Founder and CEO, DailyLit
susan@dailylit.com

New: DailyLit Selects: Excerpt Program–Dan Brown Kicks it Off
You asked for excerpts from noteworthy books, and we’re making them available. To kick off this new program, we’re launching an excerpt from Dan Brown’s new book, The Lost Symbol. We’ll periodically send you excerpts from books we think you’ll enjoy. FREE for you.

DailyLit’s Big Read: Darwin’s On the Origin of Species
Join the world-wide celebration of the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species and find out for yourself what all the controversy was about. We’ve taken the first four chapters and made them this month’s Big Read (but don’t worry, you can go on to read the rest of the chapters–or go for it all at once with the full version). Join the Big Read–FREE.

New Reads: 30 Stories in 30 Days; Momlogic; The 50th Law; Defining Twilight

  • 30 Stories in 30 Days: A first for DailyLit. We’re joining in the countdown to the publication of author David Wellington’s Frostbite–a tale of werewolves in the frozen north–by releasing one of his short stories each day for 30 days, all for free. But no cheating! One story is released per day–you won’t be able to skip ahead. Read them—FREE.
  • Momlogic Recession Survival Guide: Times are tough. The experts at Momlogic have created this guide to help you and your family get through the downturn. And it’s completely FREE–a price any budget can handle. Read it–FREE.
  • The 50th Law: Robert Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power was aimed at business types, but it deeply moved one fellow you might not expect: rapper 50 Cent. Greene and 50 teamed up to write The 50th Law, a book for everyone who believes that if you fear nothing, you will succeed. The publisher has made the entire book available to our readers. Read it–FREE.
  • Defining Twilight: Studying for the SAT or ACT or know someone who is? Defining Twilight uses the blockbuster novel to teach vocabulary words and test-taking skills. We’ve got four weeks’ worth of words. Read it–FREE.

Reader Challenge: Crime-Noir in 50 Words with Guest Judge James Ellroy
Best-selling author James Ellroy is known for his intense crime-noir novels. He’s even been called the Demon Dog of American crime fiction. Venture into the world of hard-boiled cops and criminals and come up with your own 50 word mini-crime-noir. Don’t forget to create an intriguing title. James Ellroy himself will judge the entries and select three winners, each of whom will receive a signed copy of Ellroy’s new book (to be released on Sept. 22nd), Blood’s A Rover. Post your mini-crime-noir no later than October 4th at 11:59 p.m. in our Reader Challenge Forum.

Classics by Request–The Brothers Karamazov
Thanks to requests from “jogrebe,” “wsimpson,” “psycheinaboat,” and others, we’ve just launched The Brothers Karamazov on DailyLit. Experience the intense story of love, death, betrayal, and faith that makes this Dostoyevsky work–his last–a true classic. Read it–FREE.

Free SAT Vocab Words and Study Tips. With Vampires.

We’ve just launched 4 weeks’ worth of free vocab words and study tips from Defining Twilight, a book that spices up SAT/ACT studying by approaching it through everyone’s favorite vampire book, Twilight.  The book uses words from the novel that are likely to appear on the test and offers challenges so readers can check their progress. If you or someone you know is starting to study for the big test, you know it isn’t tons of fun. Edward and Bella may be able to help. You can check it out here (and remember, with DailyLit’s gifting feature, you can send the book to a friend completely free).

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