Regency Era Lexicon – “R” Is Next on Our List

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

R. A. – member of the Royal Academy, which was founded by George III

Radcliffe, Ann – was an English author, and a pioneer of the Gothic novel. Her style is romantic in its vivid descriptions of landscapes, and long travel scenes, yet the Gothic element is obvious through her use of the supernatural. It was her technique of explained Gothicism, the final revelation of inexplicable phenomena, that helped the Gothic novel achieve respectability in the 1790s.

radical – extreme liberals who demanded governmental reforms leading to the Reform Act of 1832

rag-and-bone shop – a shop that bought and sold rags that could be made into paper, as well as bones the could be ground up into manure

ragbag – servants had the privilege to place discarded rags from their master’s household in a ragbag to be sold later for a profit

rank – a person’s social standing

ranker – an officer who had advanced to his position from the ordinary soldiers instead of purchasing his commission; gentlemen rankers were the opposite situation as they were gentlemen who sought anonymity among the ranks of the ordinary soldiers, likely due to some disgrace or scandal from which they wished to escape

rasher – a thin slice of ham or bacon

rate – the rate of a ship-of-war was based on the number of guns; first-rates carried 100+ guns; second-rates carried between 75-100, etc., down to sixth-rates

rate – a local parish tax

read himself in – the incumbent reads the Thirty-nine Articles aloud to his congregation upon assuming his new office

recusant – a person who refused to attend Church of England services (originally used only for Catholics and Dissenters)

Red Book – a list of everyone who worked for the government

reddle – a red chalk used for marking the sheep’s owners before they are sheared

reel – a Scottish dance that involved a series of figure 8s

Reform Act of 1832 – brought about to eliminate the underrepresentation of the lower classes (especially the middle class) by redistributing the parliamentary seats among the boroughs

regent – a person who reigned on behalf of a monarch (George IV became the Prince Regent when his father was declared permanently insane in 1810)

register – a record of the births, deaths, and residents of a parish

regular – the enlisted army of the British government as opposed to the irregulars (militia and volunteers)

repeater – an old-fashioned watch that struck the last hour or quarter hour when a person pushed the handle on it; very useful in the dark in providing the time

resurrectionist – a body snatcher (Before 1833, only the bodies of criminals could be used in medical schools for the teaching of anatomy.)

retainer – a servant who had been with a family for extended years

Reticule – (sometimes called a “ridicule”) a Regency purse in which ladies carried their essential calling cards, handkerchief, comb, etc.; held about the wrist with a long drawstring closure

Right Honourable – the formal way to address earls, viscounts, barons, and privy councillors; also used for a peer’s eldest son bearing as a “courtesy title”

Riot Act – (originally the Riot Act of 1714) a justice of the peace would, literally, read a troublesome crowd “the riot act,” meaning he would read his instructions to disperse to the group; after an hour, if more than 12 remained those arrested would be guilty of a felony

Robin Redbreast – the colloquial name for the Bow Street Runners because of their vests

rotten borough – a parliamentary borough with few inhabitants; part of the Reform Act of 1832 was to eliminate such boroughs

Rotten Row – a walkway for horses in the southern part of Hyde Park

Royal Crescent (Bath)

Royal Exchange – where the various trades met in London; each trade met with others of a like trade and were allotted a particular area in the Royal Exchange; Lloyd’s of London was also house in the Exchange

Royal Naval College – The Royal Naval Academy (1733 – 1837) was established at Portsmouth Dockyard as a facility to train officers for the Royal Navy. The founders’ intentions were to provide an alternative means to recruit officers and to provide standardised training, education and admission. The officers learned not only military strategies, but were taught social skills such as dancing.

In 1733, a shore side facility was established in the dockyard for 40 recruits. A comprehensive syllabus provided theoretical and practical experience in the dockyard and at sea. Graduates of the Academy could earn two years of sea time as part of their studies, and would be able to take the lieutenant’s examination after four years at sea instead of six. The Academy did not, however, achieve the objective of becoming the preferred path to becoming a naval officers. The traditional means of a sea-going ‘apprenticeship’ remained the preferred alternative. The vast majority of the officer class was still recruited in this manner based on family ties, and patronage. Family connections, ‘interest’ and a sincere belief in the superiority of practical experience learned on the quarterdeck ensured that the officer class favoured the traditional model. William IV summed up this view when he remarked that “there was no place superior to the quarterdeck of a British man of war for the education of a gentleman.”

There was a clear prejudice against Academy graduates. The then rating of midshipman-by-order, or midshipman ordinary,  was used specifically for graduates of the Royal Naval Academy, to distinguish them from midshipmen who had served aboard ship, who were paid more. After two years at sea, graduates of the academy were eligible to be promoted to midshipman.

The college closed as a young officer training establishment in 1837 meaning that from that date all youngsters setting out on a naval career proceeded directly to sea. Two of Jane Austen’s brothers, Francis and Charles, attended the Academy in 1786 and 1791 respectively. Both went on to become Admirals.

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy (RN) is the principal naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Tracing its origins to the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service. From the end of the 17th century until well into the 20th century it was the most powerful navy in the world.

rubber – required gamers to win two out of three or three out of five hands of whist, etc.

rushlight – ordinary rushes, which have been dipped in drippings of oil or grease, so they can be easily set alight; used in place of candles by the poor

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, Regency era | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Writing Essentials: What is Plagiarism? Paraphrasing? Homage?

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

I loved this article!! After having taught English for 40 years, I know how hard it is to teach students the differences between plagiarism and paraphrasing. If you time, read the entire article from the Editor’s Blog. http://theeditorsblog.net/2012/11/01/sampling-borrowing-homage-and-plagiarism-writing-essentials/

Sampling, Borrowing, Homage, and Plagiarism (Writing Essentials)

on November 1st, 2012 by Fiction Editor Beth Hill and last modified on November 1, 2012

This article is part of Writing Essentials,
in-depth coverage of the elements of fiction and writing basics.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I once assumed that everyone who made it through junior high (middle school) understood what plagiarism was and also understood that you don’t do it. Ever. Not at all. Not one sentence.

But if reports out of our schools and newsrooms are any indication, then plagiarism is thriving.

I’m not going to make you wait until you get to the end of the article for the conclusion on this one. The conclusion is, you don’t take the work of others and pass it off as your own. You don’t borrow or sample. You don’t write in the style of another author—not even one that you love, love, love—by using her phrasings. No, it’s not an homage or a tribute. It’s theft. And that author, as well as everyone else, knows it’s theft. And if you borrow or sample or steal the words or ideas of another, you are a thief.

Was that clear enough?

If you’re a student, please take this as your notice—you can’t take even one line from someone else and present it as your own. If you’re writing fiction, the story must be your words. If you’re writing an essay, you canrefer to the work of another using either direct or indirect quotes, but you must include attributions in your essay. Whether your footnotes are in the body of the text or included at the end, you have to provide references for your source materials.

And if you do refer to the works of others, those references should only bolster your own words. That is, you are the author of a report or essay, so the major part of any writing project should be your words—your questions, musings, and conclusions. Quote only short sections of someone else’s work, not paragraph after paragraph.  (There are limits to how much can be quoted of a single work, even for non-profit educational purposes. For more information, check the Fair Use provision of copyright law.)

If you quote directly, without a paraphrase, you must use quotation marks. And include citations.

If you paraphrase, using indirect quotes, you don’t use quotation marks but you still include citations.

If a thought isn’t original to you and is not common knowledge, you must cite your source.

This one should be easy, but apparently it isn’t. So I’ll find another way to say it.

If you use someone else’s words, no matter where you got them, you must put them in quotation marks and report the source. (The format for reporting source information depends on what you’re writing. Reference info typically includes author name, title of book or article, publication name, publisher’s name, date of publication, and page number. Internet sources have their own requirements. Make sure you know what’s required and the format you should follow.)

Posted in Industry News/Publishing, writing | 3 Comments

Northanger Horrid Novels

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

I wanted to introduce our visitors to what are known as the Northanger Horrid Novels, seven early Gothic examples of fiction. These books were among the many published by Minerva Press in the late 1700s and early 1800s. William Lane established Minerva Press at No. 33 Leadenhall Street, London, when he moved his circulating library there in 1790. The seven books, which comprise the Northanger Horrid Novels, were once thought to be creations of Jane Austen’s imagination, but research in the early 1900s by Michael Sadleir and Montague Summers proved that the stories did exist. In Northanger Abbey, Isabella Thorpe tells Catherine Morland …

“Dear creature! How much I am obliged to you; and when you have finished Udolpho, we will read The Italian together; and I have made out a list of ten or twelve more of the same kind for you.”

“Have you, indeed! How glad I am! – What are they all?”

“I will read you their names directly; here they are, in my pocket-book. Castle of Wolfenbach, Clermont, Mysterious Warnings, Necromancer of the Black Forest, Midnight Bell, Orphan of the Rhine, and Horrid Mysteries. Those will last us some time.”

“Yes, pretty well; but are they all horrid, are you sure they are all horrid?”

“Yes, quite sure; for a particular friend of mine, a Miss Andrews, a sweet girl, one of the sweetest creatures in the world, has read every one of them.”

Some years back, Valancourt Books began a project to bring these titles and many others from around the world to the reading public. Along with those found on Valancourt, most of the titles are available from online book sources. Some are even available in their entirety at internet reading sites. So, what are the stories in each of these books? And would Jane Austen have read them?

The Castle of Wolfenbach (1793) by Eliza Parsons
A lecherous and incestuous uncle forces Matilda Weimar to flee her home and to seek refuge in the ancient Castle of Wolfenbach. Horrifying mysteries also dwell in the castle, including that of the missing Countess of Wolfenbach. Matilda must unravel the clues before her uncle tracks her down and takes her away with him.

The Mysterious Warning (1796) by Eliza Parsons
When the much revered Count Renaud dies, his degenerate heir, Rhodophil, assumes his father’s title. The count has disowned his son Ferdinand, who has married without his father’s permission. Rhodophil swears he will share his riches with Ferdinand and the younger brother’s wife, Claudina, but a “mysterious warning” from the grave sends Ferdinand fleeing for his life. To make matters worse, Claudina has aligned herself with Rhodophil. Ferdinand’s quest for his own fortune and adventure brings him to the doorstep of a recluse, who has a horrible secret. Later, he becomes imprisoned by the Turkish army and then encounters one of Gothic literature’s most depraved female characters, Fatima. If he survives all his meanderings, Ferdinand must then return to Renaud Castle to uncover the ghostly truth about his wife and his brother.

Clermont (1798) by Regina Maria Roche
Madeline lives in seclusion with her father Clermont, who holds a mysterious past. That seclusion is interrupted by one of Clermont’s former friends, a Countess. Madeline is allowed to reside with the Countess, with whom she will receive an education. However, the Countess is attacked by unknown assailants, and Madeline is assaulted in a ghostly crypt. Compounding their problems, a sinister stranger appears to claim Madeline as his bride. The stranger knows Clermont’s secret and threatens to ruin Madeline’s father. Madeline must avoid her pursuers, solve the mystery of her father’s past, and win the love of De Sevignie.

The Orphan of the Rhine (1798) by Eleanor Sleath
Sleath is very much an Ann Radcliffe wannabe, and she models many of her pieces on Radcliffe’s works, using several of Radcliffe’s signature plot devices: mysterious monks, ruined towers, assumed names for the characters, last-minute rescues, and death-bed scenes. In this novel, Julie de Rubine discovers that her marriage to the Marchese de Montferrat is a sham. Unfortunately, this news is not delivered until after Julie gives birth. Julie takes her child and an orphan by the name of Laurette to live in a half-ruined castle on the Rhine. She remains there under the Marchese’s threats until Laurette becomes old enough to “stir the passion” of other key characters. Then things get very interesting!

The Necromancer; or, The Tale of the Black Forest (1794) by Karl Friedrich Kahlert

This book is a series of interconnected stories, each of which deals with the enigmatic character Volkert the Necromancer. This is a very strange novel. It is filled with murder, dark magic, and plenty of ghosts. The plot takes too many twists and turns to describe in so short of a space, but for the true Gothic fan, it is a must.

The Midnight Bell: A German Story, Founded on Incidents in Real Life (1798) by Francis Lathom
Alphonsus Cohenburg finds his mother covered in blood. She tells him that his uncle has murdered Alphonsus’s father, and he must flee for his life. He is never to return to Cohenburg castle. Alphonsus’s adventures include being a soldier, a miner, and a church sacristan. He meets and weds Lauretta, but she is kidnapped by a group of ruffians. Alphonsus must solve the mystery of his wife’s disappearance and the question of his mother’s strange pronouncement. Add to those dilemmas the news of ghosts haunting his family’s castle and the sound of great bell each night at midnight, and one has a complete Gothic delight.

The Horrid Mysteries: A Story from the German of the Marquis of Grosse (a translation of the German Gothic novel Der Genius) (1796) by Carl Grosse
The Marquis of Grosse is a member of “a secret revolutionary society, which advocates murder and mayhem in pursuit of an early form of communism. He creates a rival society to combat them and finds himself hopelessly trapped between the two antagonistic forces. The book has been both praised and lambasted for its lurid portrayal of sex, violence, and barbarism.”

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, Jane Austen, legends and myths, Regency era, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Regency Era Lexicon – The Letters “P” and “Q”

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

packet – a ship carrying mail (and occasionally passengers) along a regularly defined route

packman – a peddler of ladies’ goods (linen and cotton)

paddock – a horse pasture

page – a boy hired to run errands, etc.

palace – name given to the home of a bishop in the Church of England

Pall Mall – the site of many fashionable men’s clubs in the West End of London

palsy – any type of paralysis

pamphlets and tracts – very popular with readers of the 17th Century; held true accounts of murders, fires, and robberies, as well as exotic places; often these were “sensational” journalism at its worst; the 19th Century saw a resurgence of these types of story lines in early novels and the Gothic influence

pannier – a large round basket used for market days; slung over a horse

pantalettes – worn from about 1820 to 1850 by little girls; undergarments with frilled bottoms and descending below the level of skirt and petticoat to be visible

pantaloon – pants worn from the beginning of the 1800s

parish – the local unit of ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the Church of England

park – an enclosed area with trees and lawns and sometimes sheep and deer for the purpose of artistic views, rather than for profit or cultivation

Park Lane – an upscale address in Mayfair; ran along the eastern border of Hyde Park

parlor – the formal room in a modest home

parlormaid – hired in families who could not afford a male servant to perform duties similar to a butler

parsonage – the house given to the local parson as part of the “living” presented to him by his patron; the land attached to the parsonage often remained the property of the local landowner

parterre – different-sized plots of flower connected by various walkways and paths in a formal garden

pastille – a roll of paper that could be set afire to disinfect or fumigate a room

patent – given by the monarch to his subjects; a “letter patent” was an open letter that could be read by anyone, which permitted the holder certain privileges; a “patent of nobility” was a royal grant of noble status

patience – a card game of solitaire

patriarchal society – a society where women’s rights are ignored; men hold the rights and the decision making powers

pattens – worn by women to keep their shoes from getting muddy or wet in the outdoors; circular rings that could be strapped onto the shoe’s bottom to raise the foot up a few inches

Peeler – nickname given to the members of the new Metropolitan Police Force (Scotland Yard, etc.), which replaced the Bow Street Runners; founded in 1829 by Sir Robert Peel

peer – a nobleman (duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron); hereditary title; owner of a seat in the House of Lords

pelisse – a long, dress-like coat, which was often lined with fur

Pembroke – a four-legged table with two sides that could be swung up for additional space

pence – the plural of penny

Peninsular War – the campaign fought by the Duke of Wellington from 1808-1814 in Spain and Portugal against Napoleon’s forces

pensioner – an ex-soldier or sailor; in-pensioners resident at the Royal Hospital at Chelsea (army) or Greenwich (navy); out-pensioners lacked an official residence; at Cambridge University, the term meant a nonscholarship student

perpetual curate – a parish clergyman equivalent to a vicar; distinguished from an ordinary curate

personal guide book – books that define proper conduct; highly popular in the early 18th century; people of the upwardly mobile middle class sought these self-help books to learn how to conduct themselves properly in Society

petticoat – part of a woman’s intimate clothing; had a decorative binding at the bottom and sometimes extended a bit below the woman’s gown’s hemline; the chemise went over the petticoat; made of linen; its purpose was to protect the hem of the lady’s dress

phaeton – a light, open carriage with 4 wheels and pulled by 1 or 2 horses and used for pleasure driving; usually had a convertible top; a low phaeton had seats lower to the ground than the high phaeton, which young gentlemen preferred; the high phaeton was more dangerous to drive as the height made it easy to tip over; women often drove low phaetons around restricted areas (i.e., an estate), rather than on public roads

physician – the most distinguished of the medical professions; dealt only with internal disorders (illnesses for which a physic could be given); surgeons handled broken bones, wounds, etc.; physicians were referred to as “Doctor,” while surgeons were “Mr.”

pianoforte – a predecessor of the modern piano

Piccadilly – an upscale street in the West End of London; said to be called as such because an 1600s tailor in the area made high ruff collars called piccadillies

pier glass – a long mirror placed between two windows; used for ornamentation purposes

pin money – an allowance given to a woman as part of the marriage settlements

pipe – wine was sold by the “pipe,” or a unit of 105 gallons

piquet – a card game for two people played with 32 cards (no 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s); players must earn the highest number of cards in one suit

plate – silverward

Plough Monday – first Monday after Twelfth Day; a new agricultural season began on this day

plums – in the Christmas plum pudding, plums were raisins

pluralist – holding more than one benefice or living in the Church of England

pocket borough – a parliamentary borough under the control of a powerful individual; outlawed in 1832 by the Reform Bill; in the man’s “pocket,” so to speak

pocket pistol – a flask for alcohol carried in a pocket

pony – slang for £25

poorhouse – publicly supported homes for the poor

port – a favorite after-dinner drink for gentlemen; a sweet Portuguese red wine

portmanteau – a traveling bag

post – the system by which the king’s horses were provided; later the system for delivering the mail

postboy – boys who delivered the mail on foot or horseback before the mail coaches replaced them in the late 1700s

post captain – title to distinguish captains in the Royal Navy who held permanent positions as captains of ships with at least 20 guns

post chaise – a chaise used with rented horses; on long journeys, it was necessary to change horses periodically; travelers would send their horses home after a long journey and travel on with rented ones

postilion – the person who rides and guides the horses that is pulling a carriage

potboy – a youth who delivered drinks at a tavern

pound – a unit of money = 240 pence or 20 shillings

preferment – a job or position that was a step upward financially or socially

primogeniture – meant that a family’s property and wealth went directly to the eldest son; ensured that property stayed with the family and the paternal surname survived

Prince Consort – a prince married to a reigning queen

Princess Royal – the oldest daughter of a reigning monarch

private ball – given by the owner of a large country house or an upscale home in London’s more prestigious districts; attendance came by invitation only; the evening followed a particular schedule: began at 8 P.M. with mingling and dancing; dancing the supper set with a lady meant a gentleman escorted her in to supper at midnight; departure came between 3-4 A.M.

prize money – a manner of earning a fortune in the British Navy; money or loot obtained from capturing a vessel and dividing the proceeds among the capturing crew

public ball – also referred to as assemblies; open to anyone who could afford a ticket; the ball ticket also included supper; were generally held on a monthly basis to coincide with the full moon (to expedite travel at night)

public school – a particularly English phenomenon with a long history; public schools were actually private schools such as Eton, Harrow, and Rugby; founded by wealthy donors as “independent schools” for ordinary boys to learn Greek and Latin, but, eventually, the schools took in boys from aristocratic and even royal families and became “private” schools; government supported public education did not begin until the 19th century in England; Winchester College was the original English public school

publishing banns – a means to marry in the Church of England; the couple requested the local clergyman to announce their upcoming wedding from the pulpit for three successive Sundays during the service; a bride and groom who lived in different church parishes had the banns read in both; if no one objected to the wedding then the couple could marry within 90 days of the final announcement of the banns; because publishing the banns cost nothing, it was the preferred method of the poorer classes

Pump Room (Bath) – where Society in Bath gathered to ‘take the waters’ (drink the thermal spa water for medicinal purposes); also the place to meet and socialize, and, of course, to ‘promenade’ about the room

purse – used by a gentleman to hold his coins

putrid fever – Typhus

quadrille – a dance performed by four couples in a square formation; had 5 sets of movements; originally the word “quadrille” was a card game played by 4 people with 40 cards, similar to whist

quality – how the lower classes referred to the upper classes

quarter days – four days which marked when rents were due: Lady Day (March 25), Midsummer (June 24), Michaelmas (September 29) and Christmas (December 25)

quarto – a sheet of paper that had been folded twice to yield 4 leaves (8 pages)

quid – money slang for a sovereign

quinsy – tonsillitis

quiz – someone who mocks others or acts peculiarly

Quorn – one of the oldest and most prestigious of the fox-hunting packs in England; named for Quorn Hall in the Midlands where the pack was first bred in the mid 1700s

Posted in British history, Jane Austen, real life tales, Regency era | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Adder Stones, Hag Stones, Witch Stones…Do You Know These?

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

Adder stones are usually glass stones with a naturally occurring stone in them. Archaeologists have found them in both Britain and Egypt. In Britain, they stones are also called hag stones, witch stones, serpent’s eggs, or snake’s eggs. In Wales, they are called glain neidr, while in Corwall, adderstanes is the word of choice. The southern provinces of Scotland use the word Gloine nan Druidh (“Druids’ glass).

Believed to have magical powers, the stones have been used to cure eye diseases, preventing nightmares, curing whooping cough, or snakebites. Superstition says they can aid the holder by giving a person the ability to see through fairy or witch disguises.

There are many legends that define the origin of the stones. Among the most popular include: (1) the stones are the hardened saliva of large numbers of serpents massing together; (2) the stones are from the head of a serpent or are made by the sting of an adder; and (3) the stones can be any rock with a hole bored through the middle by water.

Druids highly esteemed Adder stones. There is a passage in Pliny’s Natural History, book xix, minutely describing the nature and the properties of this amulet. The following is a translation of it:

“There is a sort of egg in great repute among the Gauls, of which the Greek writers have made no mention. A vast number of serpents are twisted together in summer, and coiled up in an artificial knot by their saliva and slime; and this is called “the serpent’s egg”. The druids say that it is tossed in the air with hissings and must be caught in a cloak before it touches the earth. The person who thus intercepts it, flies on horseback; for the serpents will pursue him until prevented by intervening water. This egg, though bound in gold will swim against the stream. And the magi are cunning to conceal their frauds, they give out that this egg must be obtained at a certain age of the moon. I have seen that egg as large and as round as a common sized apple, in a chequered cartilaginous cover, and worn by the Druids. It is wonderfully extolled for gaining lawsuits, and access to kings. It is a badge which is worn with such ostentation, that I knew a Roman knight, a Vocontian, who was slain by the stupid Emperor Claudius, merely because he wore it in his breast when a lawsuit was pending.”

Posted in British history, gothic and paranormal, legends and myths, real life tales | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Adder Stones, Hag Stones, Witch Stones…Do You Know These?

Introducing AvonSocialReader.Com

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

This article comes from Forbes. If you would like to read the entire article, please visit, http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2012/10/16/learning-from-fifty-shades-of-grey-avon-books-and-facebook-tap-social-romance-market/

 
10/16/2012

Learning From ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ Avon Books And Facebook Tap Social Romance Market

We’ve known for years that word-of-mouth marketing has been partially co-opted by word-of-post, but the power of that lesson continues to impress when words like Grey (as in Fifty Shades) cease to instantly invoke Goose, sky or sweaters.

Romance publisher Avon Books has learned the lesson. Starting today, the company is partnering with Facebook to take the next logical step in sharing and discovering one’s passion for passion with AvonSocialReader.com.

“The recent word-of-mouth phenomenon surrounding Fifty Shades of Gray confirms that women are talking about the books they are reading in equal measure,” Liate Stehlik, SVP and publisher of William Morrow and Avon Books said in a release this morning. ”Thus, Avon worked to create a simple way for friends to connect on Facebook over the books they are most passionate about.”

Here are the key details:

  • Up to 20 percent of each book will be available to read right on Facebook;
  • Once a book is browsed in the app, a person can choose to have that book show up in their News Feed or timeline for friends to see. (Opting out during sign-in is fairly simple, but it does default to “Everyone.”)
  • There will also be clickable buy links to Digital Rights Management-free editions of the selected Avon books from allromanceebooks.com. (Share with any device.)
  • Consumers can also choose to purchase DRM-enabled versions of the books at other online retailers. (Such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.)
Posted in Industry News/Publishing, writing | Comments Off on Introducing AvonSocialReader.Com

Book Industry ~ Not a Dinosaur, After All

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

This article comes from The Atlantic, to read the entire article, please visit http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/print/2012/10/ignore-the-doomsayers-the-book-industry-is-actually-adapting-well/263992/

Ignore the Doomsayers: The Book Industry Is Actually Adapting Well

By Peter Osnos
Numbers show that the publishing industry is handling the rise of e-readers better than what folk knowledge might suggest. 

AP

The fall publishing season is in full swing. There can hardly have been a year with more luminaries atop both the fiction and nonfiction bestseller lists; J. K. Rowling, Michael Chabon, Ken Follett, Junot Diaz, among others, represent literary acclaim and commercial appeal. Diaz (This Is How You Lose Her) is having an especially good run: He is both a National Book Award finalist and a recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” prize. Stephen Colbert, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Young, Bob Woodward, and Salman Rushdie are just a sampling of the nonfiction bestsellers. (For the full array, check out theNew York Times‘s copious five pages of print and e-book listings in the book review, which are supplemented online with “expanded rankings” featuring “more titles, more rankings and a full explanation of our methodology.”) Whatever else may be happening in this tumultuous period of transition in how books are produced and distributed, the sheer range and quality of so many titles is indisputable proof that our marketplace has writers and readers in impressive numbers.For all the complexities that publishing faces, the notion that books are somehow less of a factor in the cultural or information ecosystem of our time doesn’t hold up to the evidence.

Recently, Colin Robinson, a respected founder of a New York-based independent publisher, OR Books, wrote anessay for The Guardian entitled “Ten Ways to Save the Publishing Industry.” The summary paragraph was grim: “Book sales are stagnating, profit margins are being squeezed by higher discounts and falling prices and the distribution of book buyers is being ever more polarized between record-shattering bestsellers and an ocean of titles with tiny readerships.” For the most part, Robinson’s recommendations are common sense: an emphasis on selection, pricing, effective use of the Internet, and a focus on readers by devoting more effort to reaching them directly through social media. Jeremy Greenfield, editorial director of Digital Book World, in a response to Robinson’s manifesto makes a strong case with observations that I generally share: “The publishing industry isn’t a monolithic thing: some publishers are doing well and others are not. … I don’t see an industry that’s flailing—I see one that’s managing a complicated transition much better than would be expected.”

Posted in Industry News/Publishing, writing | Comments Off on Book Industry ~ Not a Dinosaur, After All

Regency Era Lexicon – And Then We Find “N” and “O”

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

national school – schools set up by the Church of England’s National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church throughout England and Wales; originally founded in 1811; organized to teach children to read the Bible; eventually became the man source of primary education for the England’s lower classes

navy list – a list of the officers in the navy, as well as their positions/ships

navvy – those who worked on the building of the canals in the early 1800s; they were “inland navigators”

negus  – a popular drink at balls and assemblies; made from sugar mixed with water and wine (sherry and port); credited to Colonel Francis Negus

newel post – the post at the bottom of the stairs; a bannister extended upward from it

Newgate Prison – the main prison in London; site of public executions; connected to the Old Bailey by a passageway; sadistically, the accused was seated beside his coffin in the prison chapel; people were charged a shilling to view the proceedings

Newgate Calendar – a collection of the biographies of some of Newgate Prison’s most notorious inmates

nob – a person with a great deal of social status

nobility – generally used to refer to the peerage

noblesse oblige – a French phrase that means “nobility obliges”; the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth

nonconformists – the Protestant sects (Quakers, Unitarians, Baptists, and Methodists) who did not conform to the Church of England’s teachings; nonconformists could not hold office in a borough (until 1828), nor could they receive an Oxford or Cambridge degree

Nore Naval Mutiny (May 1797) – near the Thames Estuary, sailors mutinied over the terrible living conditions on board ship and for the low pay; the mutineers blocked the London port; unfortunately, the mutiny failed as a result of deserters and a lack of food

normal school – one that trained teachers

note of hand – a promissory note

nursery – a room set aside for your children (infants to age 4 or 5)

nursery maid – bathed and dressed the children of wealthy women; they entertained their charges during the day

oakum – the tarred strands that make up ropes; in many prisons, the inmates picked oakum apart; then ships were caulked with the oakum substance

oatcakes – the wealthy in Scotland, Ireland, and northern England ate oatcakes, while the poorest classes settled for ones made from corn, barley, and wheat

Octagon Room – in Bath; a central room with a domed roof and walls painted with scenic designs; served as a meeting room and as a music room

offices – the parts of the house where work was conducted (kitchen, stables, etc.)

Old Bailey – the  site of the main criminal court in London

Old Style – the means to reckon dates before 1752, when the English changed out the Julian calendar and replaced it with the Georgian calendar; they permanently “lost” eleven days in the process (Thursday, September 14, 1752 followed Wednesday, September 2, 1752, under the new calendar.)

(taking) orders – becoming a clergyman in the Church of England; the church consisted of three orders: deacons, priests, and bishops

ormolu – from the French word for “gold”; a piece of furniture/clock/ornamentation made to look gold through the use of gold leaf or a substance resembling gold

ottoman – (not a footstool) an upholstered bench, generally with no arms or back used as kind of sofa

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What You Didn’t Know About Thanksgiving…

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

It took more than 200 years after the first Thanksgiving before it became an official holiday.

The first Thanksgiving was a three day feast, which included hunting, athletic games, and eating. The Pilgrims dined on venison, NOT turkey. There was also NO pumpkin pie or potatoes or cranberry sauce.

In 1789, George Washington announced the first NATIONAL Thanksgiving holiday, but Thanksgiving did not become an annual tradition until the 19th Century. The Americans celebrated on Thursday, November 26, 1789.

As the first Thanksgiving (1622) was to celebrate the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest, the celebration was not repeated.

American writer, Sarah Josepha Hale, was inspired by A Diary of Pilgrim Life. In 1827, Hale began a 30 year campaign to make to make Thanksgiving a national tradition. At her own expense, Hale published recipes for pumpkin pie, stuffing, turkey, etc.  (By the way, Hale is the author of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.)

In 1939, FDR moved the holiday to the 3rd Thursday in November to give retailers an extra week to make money during the holiday buying season. It was the Depression, after all.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving will would be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.

Ironically, in 1941, FDR signed a bill to keep Thanksgiving on the 4th Thursday of November.

In 1989, George H. W. Bush gave the first official turkey pardon.

These facts and lots more about Thanksgiving can be found at History.com.

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Social Media Rules for Facebook Promotions: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You!

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Regina Jeffers

In late October,  Maria Grace shared this link on several of the blogs that we both follow, but if you missed it, you might want to take time to read the article carefully, especially if you run giveaways, etc., through your Facebook page. To read the complete article, PLEASE visit the Social Media Examiner’s Website at http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/facebook-promotions-what-you-need-to-know/

Facebook Promotions: What You Need to Know

By 
Published March 1, 2011

Are you thinking of running a contest or promotion on Facebook? Have the rules imposed by Facebook confused you?

Look no further.  This article will provide an in-depth look at Facebook’s promotional rules.

The Tricky Rules

Running a contest on Facebook is a powerful way to generate buzz, increase engagement, boost your fan count and build your email list. But Facebook has rigorous rules governing what campaigns you can and cannot administer and promote on their platform.

For several years, the contest rules were fairly loose and Facebook users and page admins could pretty much administer whatever campaigns they wished within the confines of Facebook’s general terms (now called Statement of Rights and Responsibilities).

However, in 2009, Facebook severely tightened up their promotion guidelines, causing a great deal of confusion even two years later. To quote Susan Getgoodon her post about Facebook contests:

Bottom line, Facebook doesn’t want any explicit involvement in ANY of your contests. It’s all about liability, and the Facebook promo guidelines are designed to distance the social network from whatever companies and bloggers do with their contests.

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