We don’t like change. Despite the advancements and technological progression, the response to eReaders has been lukewarm. I have to admit that I myself am among the unreformed, and this has led me to question why I hang on to a sentimentality that I certainly never felt when I parted with my camera film, CDs or VHS. What is it about books that we are so afraid of losing: the backache from carrying them, the paper cuts, the smell? After all, it is not the words; the actual life affirming, earth-shattering literature that is changing- just the format. (more…)
Honest Publishing Blog
Articles, news and latest writings from alternative, original voices.
Honest ‘£100’ Poetry Competition
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011To celebrate Burns Night in January, here at Honest we thought we’d have a poetry competition in November.
Here’s how it works: you give us £3 of your cash (around US$4.70), you submit 1 poem, we judge it and if you win, we pay you £100 (a shade over $150) and give you an Honest Publishing book of your choosing. And, we’ll try and get it signed (not easy, our authors are everywhere). We’ll also publish your poem on our blog so the rest of the world can see just how clever you are. (more…)
I Love Technology, Part II
Sunday, October 30th, 2011It’s just my luck. It’s got to happen. You know it and I know it. It’s happened twice. But you know and I know that some day it will happen for real. Whatever we invent we have to use, the bone, the stick, the axe, the sword, the machine gun, the raygun. (more…)
99 Cents
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011The digital revolution demolished gatekeepers, democratised writing, gave the little guy a foot-up. But with the smooth comes the rough, or something, and here’s one of the most damaging things to emerge from the whole, wonderful mess: the 99¢ eBook. (more…)
Fante an Honest Review
Saturday, October 22nd, 2011Like Hubert Selby Jr. before him, Dan Fante refuses to flinch. His writing is characterised by honest storytelling. He doesn’t try to sound like a writer or obstruct the flow of the story in any way. He has no apparent intention of his work being analysed, and seems to be unconcerned with literary worth, doesn’t fill space with unnecessary allusions or metaphors, he’s not the pretentious know-it-all smirking from behind a screen. Dan Fante’s work does not ape anybody, doesn’t try to evoke another era, doesn’t attempt to be surreal, contemporary, post-modern or book club material. While the Booker Prize scratches its PR chin and newspapers ponder the state of publishing, Dan Fante continues to write.
I had the pleasure of reading Fante: A Family’s Legacy of Writing, Drinking and Surviving, Dan Fante’s latest book, while on my train travels. It felt like I was holding a close friend and listening to him speak his secrets into my ear alone, reminded of when I was a boy and was carrying a Jack London novel around with me like priceless treasure to soothe me and give me the support and friendship I needed. I held my copy of Fante tight, proud to be reading it while others around me stared into their laptops, drank their coffees. (more…)
I Love Technology
Monday, October 17th, 2011My grandfather died before the video. He would have loved the video. He was a dirty old man. (more…)
The Kindle Trial Challenge
Saturday, October 8th, 2011Kindle, love it or hate it, the world’s shouting about it. We prefer strong feelings here at Honest, standing on the edge of a cliff with the gust smashing against our backs. But enough of the cheap metaphors. We’ve got an offer for you, dear readers. Purchase one of our Kindle eBooks, read it, and if you don’t like it we’ll give you your money back (via Paypal). (more…)
Homegirl! Now on Kindle
Friday, October 7th, 2011Occupy Publishing
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011Inspired by Ryder Collins‘ tremendous article, and as a tangent to the ideas behind the Occupy Wall Street movement, I wanted to slam down my very own opinionated piece. It seems to me that business/writing/the business of writing is a continuous handshake, a wink and a slap on the bum.
(Sure I want to bring down federal banking just like the next man. I do believe that what is going on financially in the world is a massive swindle and most people are on the losing end. But what I also believe is that you and I also need to be held accountable. We’ve put our faith in these establishments, we’ve handed it all over, from our salaries to our mortgages. Not to mention the free-spending, the gluttony and lack of self-control which has meant we’ve lost our footing; in fact we’ve lost it, slipped up and fallen face down in our own putrid puke.) (more…)
Happy Birthday to The Big Issue: True Uncompromising Publishing
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011The Big Issue celebrated its 20th Anniversary, in what has in my opinion, been a landmark in raw and uncompromising publishing and journalism for the last two decades. (more…)
