Chris O'Brien

Self-publishing is more of a threat to literary agents than traditional publishers

How self-publishing impacts traditional publishers but even more impacts the world of literary agents

Point Guard Smacks Floor Too Hard on Defense, Breaks Both Hands

Saturday, March 4th Point guard Finn "Floor Burns" Slater never brings it less than 110 percent. And on Saturday night, that intensity...

Refs Need More Time With Instant Replay. Take VHS Tape Home

It was what they call a "bang-bang" play. Jacoby Carmichael, the heart and soul of these scrappy Sheboygan Wildcats, drove to the basket...

14: A Nostalgic Look Back at the Kansas Jayhawks Historic Big 12 Streak (part 2)

By: Chris O'Brien This is a historical look back at the 14-year streak of Big 12 conference titles. The format bounces back and forth...

Check Your Font Size, Bro | Here or There

By: Chris O'Brien I glanced at my older brother’s phone, and it looked like he was reading from a large print Reader’s Digest. Everything...

How does the Midwest sell us on winter? | Here or There

By: Chris O'Brien Let’s say money is not an issue. And you could move anywhere in the country. Anywhere in the world. You could wake up...

14: A Nostalgic Look Back at the Kansas Jayhawks Historic Big 12 Streak (part 1)

By: Chris O'Brien For Mombo and Poppo Two lovebirds who met at the University of Kansas all those years ago and created one big family of...

Do I still need a literary agent? | Unpublished

In 2017, there were one million new self-published books. Most of which were published on Amazon. But let's imagine for a second that...

The Four Types of Book Publishers

Book publishing hit a major milestone in 2017. It was the first time that 1 million new titles were self-published in a calendar year....

Restoring the Exclamation Point | Here or There

I love the exclamation point. When you see a “!” it even looks like it’s yelling at you. Just like the period says, “We’re done here,”...

BBQ for Breakfast at Wrigley BBQ | Chicago BBQ Series

If you're not careful, Chicago has a way of shrinking. Especially as it gets colder outside. In the summertime, you're happy to bounce...

BBQ: The Midwest's Signature Dish | The Midwest as a Foreign Country

Italy has pasta. India has chicken tikka masala. France makes claim to just about everything. One of the fastest ways to establish...

The Master Cup | Here or There

Growing up in the ‘90s, every home in America had at least one Master Cup. The Master Cup stood anywhere from one to two feet tall and...

Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing

When you open up a book and see a logo for Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Livre, Harper Collins, or Macmillan, these...

Here or There: Opening Chapter

Have you ever run into someone right after a vacation who didn’t realize you had ever left? This happened to me the other day. I ran into...