Weekly Roundup 2/13/09

Happy Friday the 13th!  (insert scary music here)

I love the number 13.

I got married on the 13th, which contributes to my partiality.  Now, I didn't pick that date, it just happened to be the only date the church was open. Why?  Superstition. Others' fear of misfortune was my good fortune.  I got a wedding date six months earlier because of the dreaded number thirteen. 

In honor of the day, I'm going to include some fun facts in this roundup post.

There are actually names for phobias regarding Friday and the number 13:

Triskaidekaphobia-fear of the number 13.

Paraskevidekatriaphobia-fear of Friday the 13th.

I have a greater fear of trying to pronounce those words than I do of Friday the 13th!

According to an article in National Geographic, as many as 17 to 21 million people are afflicted with paraskevidekatriaphopia.  In fact, Donald Dossey, the founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in North Carolina, asserts that an estimated $800 to $900 million is lost in business on this day because people are afraid to fly or conduct business. 

I found some interesting information regarding the source of the superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th.  Click to access articles:  National Geographic and  Urban Legends.

Giddyup, y'all, let's round 'em up!

Industry News (click to read articles)

HarperCollins closing Collins Division; Other Layoffs Planned

Robert Anderson, Author of Tea and Sympathy, dies at 91

Amazon releases Kindle2 Ebook reader

Agent News

Sarah Megibow  has been promoted to Associate Literary Agent and is now accepting queries at the Nelson Literary Agency.  Ms. Megibow represents commercial fiction, fantasy, middle grade, romance, science fiction and young adult. 

Jennifer Didik has joined Loretta Barrett Books, Inc.  Ms. Didik represents commercial fiction and literary fiction.  Her non-fiction interests include history, memoir, current events, politics and baseball.  

QT News

Querytracker.net now has over 12,000 members!  

5 offers of representation were reported by QueryTracker.net members this week. 

4 of the 5 offers were for the same project, REAPERS, a young adult urban fantasy written by one of our original QT members, Leah Clifford. Congrats, Leah!  

Special Feature Next Week:  Ask the Docs!

Next week, our very own HL Dyer (who is a pediatric hospitalist physician) and Carolyn Kaufman (who is a clinical psychologist and professor) will be inviting you to ask your medical writing questions and your psychology writing questions, so start thinking of what you'd like to ask!

This is a great opportunity for writers who might have questions like, "Why might someone faint?" or "What would it take to push a character into suicide?" or "What kind of anxiety disorder does my character have?"

Drs Dyer and Kaufman will post more about asking questions on Tuesday February 17th. 

QT Blog Topics Covered this week:

QueryTracker.net Premium Reports

Critique Groups Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Interview with Angie Lofthouse, Editor for Mindflights Magazine

Tuning Up Your Manuscript

Have a happy Friday the 13th! 

Mary Lindsey writes paranormal fiction for children and adults. Prior to attending University of Houston Law School, she received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama.

Mary can also be found on her website.