
From time to time, I’m going to highlight some of the great online communities for writers. Today I’ve picked PublishersCafe, the message boards hosted by indie press PublishingWorks, Inc.
From their description:
Welcome to PublishersCafe, the unique authors’ and readers’ on-line coffeehouse where the ups, downs, positives and negatives of writing-related topics and publishing are discussed. Here you will discover the knowledge and experience to help you grow as authors, writers, publishers and agents.
For more info as well as PublisherWorks updates, follow @corb21 on Twitter.


Do you need a wordcount challenge with some leeway?
Check out the challenges below:
250 wds/day | 500 wds/day | 1000 wds/day
So how did you all do with your daily wordcount challenges since the last check-in?

Lots of gleeful iPad-bashing out there.
Interesting to compare the comments to early reactions to the launch of Apple’s iPod, which ended up selling over 220 million units by Sept/2009:
From a Wired article:
The iPod is expected to hit Apple’s online store and the company’s retail outlets on Nov. 10. It will cost $399. For all Jobs’ excitement, though, Apple users at Mac discussion sites seemed a bit crestfallen that the device wasn’t as revolutionary as the company had promised last week.
Indeed, many said it was over-priced and under-powered.
“Apple has introduced a product that’s neither revolutionary nor breakthrough, and they’ve priced it so high that it’s reminiscent of the Cube,” a post on MacSlash said.
The message then offered some ideas for what “iPod” might stand for. These won’t make Jobs happy: “I Pretend it’s an Original Device,” it suggested, or “idiots Price Our Devices.”
From MacRumors comments (check out one of the original threads for more iPod-bashing):
‘I still can’t believe this! All this hype for something so ridiculous! Who cares about an MP3 player? I want something new! I want them to think differently! Why oh why would they do this?! It’s so wrong! It’s so stupid!”
“Sounds very revolutionary to me. hey – heres an idea Apple – rather than enter the world of gimmicks and toys, why dont you spend a little more time sorting out your pathetically expensive and crap server line up? or are you really aiming to become a glorified consumer gimmicks firm?”
All that hype for an MP3 player? Break-thru digital device? The Reality Distiortion Field™ is starting to warp Steve’s mind if he thinks for
one second that this thing is gonna take off.
From commenters after Slashdot announced the Apple iPod:
And I was all excited they were going to release a OS X based wireless web pad. Instead we get yet another portable MP3 player .. “groundbreaking” I think was the term I heard them use to describe this new secret product the other day. How “groundbreaking” can something be when I can walk up the street and buy something with similiar (and in some cases, additional/better) features?
Keep in mind it’s $400 right now becuase the Apple Fanatics will have to have one. They’ll pay anything for the latest cool toy from Apple. In 6 months, hopefully the rest of us will be buying the 20GB version for $200.
I am very sad that Apple seems to be repeating the same mistake they made with the Cube – great, nifty product that anyone would love to own, except that it’s burdened by an unbelievably poor price/performance ratio.
Unfortunately $400 is about twice as much as I’d want to pay for something the size of a pack of cards.
No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame.
I don’t see many sales in the future of iPod.
Me? I’m still excited, and I’m holding off doing an iPad review until I actually have had a chance to use one.
Also see the comments posted in http://ipadgirl.posterous.com.

After posting short stories to Textnovel.com, Shannon Delany (previously writing as Saoirse Redgrave) ended up with a St. Martin’s Press book contract for 13 To Life, a new YA paranormal werewolf novel. Shannon kindly agreed to answer a few questions about her experience: [click to continue…]

Writers with iPhone should check out Write Chain, an app which provides motivation by storing word counts for each writing session and tracks the total words written across all sessions. [click to continue…]


Do you need a wordcount challenge with some leeway?
Check out the challenges below:
250 wds/day | 500 wds/day | 1000 wds/day
So how did you all do with your daily wordcount challenges since the last check-in?