Gordon Haber

Writer, editor, mediocre guitarist

Category: Writing Tips

Untitled Gordon Haber Essay

This piece was published on the departed website Bookslut in April, 2010. Titles are hard. You spend weeks or months or years on your work, and somewhere along the way you’re expected to encapsulate it in a few pithy words. It’s kind of draining, when you think about it. Maybe that’s why Mark Rothko used […]

UK English vs. US English

A client asked me for the main things to keep in mind when “translating” documents. So here’s an (ongoing) list. Titles US English titles capitalize all words except articles and prepositions: Sense and Sensibility British titles are not capitalized: Sense and sensibility But don’t forget to capitalize proper nouns in UK titles: The death of […]

Literary Selfie: Spring 2017 (aka Even a Time of National Crisis Can’t Distract Me from My Careerist Self-Absorption)

  ___ As usual, I am aware that in these difficult times, so many of you lie awake, staring at the ceiling and asking yourself, “What is Gordon Haber up to?” Rest easy, because here’s your answer: Writing! I wrote about The Handmaid’s Tale for Religion & Politics. I wrote about My Scientology Movie for Religion […]

The 12 Reasons My Book Deal Collapsed

  Because they were trying to anticipate what the reviewers would say and have me rewrite the book accordingly, which, I can tell you as a fiction writer and a book reviewer, is a waste of time. Because they wanted me to make changes to satisfy the marketing people. Because I was repeatedly asked, “Why […]

Book Deal, Shmook Deal

I will not be publishing my novel. At least not with that company. We agreed on some changes. I did them. Then they said, “Make these other changes or we won’t publish the book.” I offered a few concessions. But if I followed the bigger changes it would have ruined the book. So that’s that. […]

A Brief Guide to Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Reactions to the Massacres in Paris

Appropriate Shock Sadness Anger Confusion Inappropriate 1000-word article on how the massacre precisely confirms your already existing world-view

Writers: Buy This. It Can Help.

  Friends: my delightful wife, in whom I delight, has published a fantastic writing guide, 9 Juicy Weeks to a Wonderfully Imperfect First Draft. It will help you get through your first draft (duh) and help you develop a little discipline and a relatively pain-free writing process. It’s great for fiction writers, playwrights, screenwriters and […]

#WritingJobs

Fortune 500 co. seeks blogger with in-depth knowledge of health care industry. 50¢ a post! Great exposure! Hot new online mag seeks celebrity news writer for 700 years of experience. Please send 3 clips & 1 kidney (someone else’s OK) to Staceeee1@celebnow.com. Alaskan Tundra Magazine, Alaska’s premier magazine on the all things tundra, seeks features […]

7 Blog Post Ideas That Will Make Your Blog “HOT HOT HOT”!!!

1. Run a contest. Offer entrants a $1000 prize for an essay on a topic of your choice. Charge $10 per entry. Instead of paying the winner, use the money to invest in a redesign of your blog. 2. Review stuff. Everybody loves opinions! Post reviews of stuff you use every day, like your vibrator. […]

More on Writing and Money

  Here’s Alison Lurie writing on Fay Weldon for the NYRB: “There are now over three hundred college writing programs in the United States. But no matter how much the population increases, people will not need more writers: they can all read multiple copies of the same books. As a result of this imbalance, only […]

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