A response to Maris Kreizman: publishing runs on gig workers — just like any creative industry

A response to Maris Kreizman: publishing runs on gig workers — just like any creative industry

A recent piece by Maris Kreizman in LitHub bemoans the rise of “gig work” in publishing — and in particular the freelancer-driven model being pursued by the new publishing venture Author’s Equity. What naive and misguided claptrap. What’s Kreizman’s objection? In an essay titled “Publishing Models That Rely on Gig Workers Are Bad For Everybody,”…

The thread
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The thread

I never write anything without the thread in mind. What is the thread? It is the throughline of any blog post, essay, or book chapter. Start with the end in mind. What is the point? Write the title and the lede based on that. Then, the setup. What is the problem? What is have I…

Tesla design elegance and the death of Angela Chao

Tesla design elegance and the death of Angela Chao

The design elegance of Tesla cars exceeds that of any other vehicle. Tesla’s iPhone-like design aesthetic starts with the sleek exterior design (putting aside the horrifying CyberTruck, of course) and continues with the touchscreen-based center display, which elegantly integrates every function from navigation to climate control. That design aesthetic may have contributed to the death…

The muscular middle; princess photo foulup; uncanny cerebral valley: Newsletter 13 March 2024
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The muscular middle; princess photo foulup; uncanny cerebral valley: Newsletter 13 March 2024

A new politics arises from the ashes of the American disaster, AI proponents and doomsayers wrestle, books as chatbots, plus three people to follow, three books to read, and a chance to see me debate at Berkeley. The inspirational rise of the muscular middle I’ve freakin’ had it with the American political system. It’s time…

The case of Boeing: can incentives reduce risk?

The case of Boeing: can incentives reduce risk?

In the wake of continuing safety issues with Boeing aircraft, the company announced it was changing the incentives for how people are paid in its commercial aircraft division. Now, 60% of the bonuses will be based on quality and safety metrics. Previously, 75% of the bonuses were based on financial metrics. I’ve watched incentives and…

Networking for novices

Networking for novices

I’m helping a new college graduate right now to make connections that may lead to a job. She’s far more used to excelling at school assignments than making connections, so she asked me a basic question: what is networking and how does it work? For those of us who’ve been in business for a while,…

Information provenance; author focused publishing; RuPaul’s bookstore: Newsletter 6 March 2024
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Information provenance; author focused publishing; RuPaul’s bookstore: Newsletter 6 March 2024

Newsletter 34: Who tells the truth, authors back a new publishing model, Spotify’s audiobook subscription, plus three people to follow, three books to read, and chance to meet other authors in Northern Cal. Says who? Trump advisor Steve Bannon once described his communications strategy this way: “The real opposition is the media. And the way…