Bloggers and Books: Think Before You Write
Here are two seemingly paradoxical statements: All bloggers who have a solid knowledge base in a specific subject, or who have a flair for writing, should consider writing a book. Most writers are incapable of writing a book and there are tons of books out there that should never have been published. If the first statement applies to you, come check out this panel. By the end of the session, you just might find out that the second statement applies to you.
Rachel Klayman has worked in publishing for more than two decades. Her books include Carlos Eire’s "Waiting for Snow in Havana," winner of the 2003 National Book Award; Peter Bergen’s "Holy War, Inc." and Tony Horwitz’s "Baghdad without a Map." Her books at Crown have included the New York Times bestsellers "The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama, "Look Me in the Eye" by John Elder Robison and "The Billionaire's Vinegar" by Benjamin Wallace. She has also published books by several esteemed bloggers: David Sirota ("The Uprising"), Joe Bageant ("Deer Hunting with Jesus") and Scott Rosenberg ("Dreaming in Code").
Marcy Wheeler blogs as “emptywheel” at FireDogLake.com, and also for the Campaign for America’s Future. She is best known for her book, Anatomy of Deceit, which served as a primer of the CIA Leak case, and her live-blogging of the Scooter Libby trial. She has covered efforts to hold the Bush Administration accountable for its illegal warrantless wiretapping and torture programs. Wheeler has a PhD from the University of Michigan and has spoken on blogging and politics at Amherst College, Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities and Duke Law School. She was recently awarded the 2009 Hillman Prize for Blog Journalism.
Safir Ahmed has been an independent book editor and an editorial and media consultant working with various organizations and publishing companies. Among the books he has edited are "Crashing the Gate" by Markos Moulitsas and Jerome Armstrong, "How Would a Patriot Act?" by Glenn Greenwald, "Thinking Points" by George Lakoff, "Anatomy of Deceit" by Marcy Wheeler, and the soon-to-be-released "American Taliban" by Markos Moulitsas and "Rebooting the American Dream" by Thom Hartmann. Safir has also edited various articles and books by Hamza Yusuf, a leading American Muslim scholar and theologian, and served as editorial and media relations consultant for Muslim organizations in the U.S. Previously, Safir was Editor of AlterNet and spent two decades as a journalist, first as writer and editor at the Pulitzer-family owned St. Louis Post-Dispatch and then as Editor of The Riverfront Times. He also worked as Communications Director for the Senate Democratic Caucus in Missouri and for the U.S. Senate campaign of Nancy Farmer in 2004. Safir lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and teenage daughter, and currently works as Editorial Director at CREDO Mobile.
