How I Became a Best-Selling Author. This summer, Darcie Chan's debut novel became an unexpected hit. It has sold more than 400,000 copies and landed on the best-seller lists alongside brand-name authors like Michael Connelly, James Patterson and Kathryn Stockett. It's been a success by any measure, save one. Ms. Chan still hasn't found a publisher. Five years ago, Ms. [More from WSJ.com: Readers Guide to Big Sellers] "Nobody was willing to take a chance," says Ms. This past May, Ms. The story of how Ms. Self-publishing has long been derided as a last resort for authors who lack the talent or savvy to hack it in the publishing business. [More from WSJ.com: Why Book Critics Matter] A handful of self-published authors have achieved blockbuster status, selling more than a million copies of their books on the Kindle. Self-published titles have been buoyed by an explosion in digital book sales.
The march of self-published authors has put publishers and literary agents on guard. Digital self-publishing still has serious drawbacks. Rock climber endures 16-day vertical existence on face of El Capitan. S Most Beautiful Places to Soak. Thermae Bath Spa Matt Cardy / Thermae Bath Spa Nothing says "R&R" like a long, hot bath: That ahh feeling is the best cure for stress. Sure, you can find hot water and a tub just about anywhere (including your own home), but you can only extract so much ambience from bathroom tiles.
To really kick back, leave your well-treaded bathmat behind and head to a soak-spot that both calms the nerves and soothes the senses. We've uncovered some spectacular bathing locales that drip with history, luxury and natural beauty. Thermae Bath Spa, Bath, England This beautiful town in southwest England has always been a heavyweight in the R&R sector. The Thermae Bath Spa's pools are fed by the same steamy springs that have long beckoned to bathers.
Molori Safari Lodge Courtesy of Molori Safari Lodge Molori Safari Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa Just because you're in the wilderness doesn't mean you have to rough it: The Molori Safari Lodge's five bungalows bring chic to the Savanna. Rome Cavalieri. Miles of mysterious striped network grids discovered in Chinese desert | The Sideshow. Here's a new geological conundrum courtesy of the Mysterious East: A group of people studying online maps stumbled across a series of strange patterns in the Chinese desert large enough to be seen from space. The unusual white designs appear to have been etched into the ground and their creators clearly don't lack for ambition: They are over one mile long and 3,000 feet wide. The researchers have yet to identify the silver or white material used to fabricate these outsize desert grids. You can see a detailed satellite view of the desert pattern here. So why would the Chinese government--or anyone, for that matter--go to such trouble to paint such gigantic stripes on such remote territory?
According to Gizmodo, the various patterned sites are located in Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Gansu, north of the Shule River. Slash Gear notes that in one of the grid photos, you can see three structures that are destroyed or partially standing, "as if they were for target practice. " Black rhino given new home Photos | Black rhino given new home Pictures. Tokyo's gigantic flood prevention system Photos | Tokyo's gigantic flood prevention system Pictures. Rivers of ice: Vanishing glaciers. 11 October 2011Last updated at 01:09 Stunning images from high in the Himalayas - showing the extent by which many glaciers have shrunk in the past 80 years or so - have gone on display at the Royal Geographical Society in central London. Between 2007 and 2010, David Breashears retraced the steps of early photographic pioneers such as Major E O Wheeler, George Mallory and Vittorio Sella - to try to re-take their views of breathtaking glacial vistas.
The mountaineer and photographer is the founder of GlacierWorks - a non-profit organisation that uses art, science and adventure to raise public awareness about the consequences of climate change in the Himalayas. Continue reading the main story Rivers of Ice: Vanishing Glaciers of the Greater Himalaya can be seen at the RGS in London until 11 November 2011. All photos courtesy GlacierWorks, Royal Geographical Society and Fondazione Sella O.n.l.u.s.. Music courtesy KPM Music. Related: GlacierWorks Royal Geographical Society More audio slideshows: 50 Images from National Geographic`s 2010 Photo Contest.
Writen by Bogdan / Comments Off on 50 Images from National Geographic`s 2010 Photo Contest This is one of the most anticipated annual photo contests. The deadline for the submissions is on November 30th so if you have an interesting photo, submit it. Below you can see 50 images collected from different categories. An Indian wrestler smears mud on his head before starting wrestling in Kolkata, India, March 30, 2010.
Wrestling is one of the oldest sports in India. A supercell thunderstorm rolls across the Montana prairie at sunset. Freediver waiting over 800 ft of water for something substantial to come up from the depths. The Great Pyramids. The Music Of Love. Liquid Planet. Brown bear, Buskin River, Kodiak Alaska. Fleet week 2010, standing on Alcatraz island as the Blue angels fly over head. A Wrinkle in Time. This picture was taken in Suradita Village, West Java, Indonesia (2010). Cosmic. The child in us. Cloud and ship. After the Crash. Giraffes at Savannah. Eavy load. Ki Gompa.