Daniel Sullivan's Blog

Someone who read Black Collarlefta review askingwhy Congress tends to ignore the will of the people in favor of policies that enrich the upper class. Is it “simplegreed” the reviewer pondered. Great question.Here’s my response:

First, thank you to everyone who read Black Collar. These positive reviews are the best motivation, and I appreciate them so much. I’ve receive a lot of reviews lately, so if I don’t answer your question on here, feel free to email me directly. But I’m going to answer...

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already experienced Black Collar. A lot has happened since I penned those first pages back in March of 2011. This is the story of how Black Collar came to be.

Black Collar started with an idea: breathe life into net neutrality with a tale of death and vengeance.

Structurally, Black Collar’s format was inspired by George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (better known as Game of Thrones), although I halved the length and number of title charact...

Confession: I skipped the iPhone 5 and 5s. Instead, I kept one dependable and attractive iPhone 4s for three freaking years.

As you can imagine, I was expecting the iPhone 6 do more than just eliminate the shame of typing in an unlock code like a Neanderthal. I was ready to step into the present—nay, hoverboard-be-damned, the FUTURE!

Unfortunately, the essence of the iPhone 6 is meh. It’s boring. There’s nothing about it that makes you say, “WOW! THAT IS NEW AND AWESOME!” The reason why the iPh...

“Net neutrality” is the principle that all Internet data should be treated equally. For the past 25 years, the Internet has functioned as an open network, where all users could browse to all corners of the Web. The other side of the coin is a closed network, such as cable television, where content providers and end users both pay for increased access.

It’s the Internet’s open architecture that allows websites to compete on a level playing field. Sure, Google, Facebook and Amazon are giants wal...

The cool kids have already switched to Google Chrome, with good reason. As of March 2013, 51.7% of web users browse with Chrome, and it’s still gaining in popularity. Usage statistics are extremely important because web designers build sites to functioncorrectly on the most common browsers. FireFox (28.5% of users) and Internet Explorer (13%) are trending down, while Safari (4.1%) and Opera (1.8%) are holding steady at the...

Done! And two hours before deadline, you think with exhausted relief as you close your laptop. After three months of hard work, you just completed the revisions requested by your editor at New York’s latest imprint: Guillotine. You gaze out the window of your favorite Brooklyn coffee shop and wonder if the morning dew has lifted from the grass in Central Park. Eleven o’clock is still two hours away. Maybe I should deliver my manuscript in person. Then I’ll go lie down in the park, eyes turned...

For unsolicited submissions, most literary agents prefer email queries with sample pages pasted into the body of the message. Email submissions save time and trees, but if sample pages are requested with a submission, it’s better to ask for that material as an attachment. Here’s why:

An attached file is the only way to maintain the integrity of the submitting author’s work. Emails are sent and received via one of three formats: HTML, rich text, or text only. When the email formats don’t match,...

I recently googled “best laptops for writers” and found that the the top results dispense advice that is either dated or just plain wrong. Here’s a brief summary of the suggestions from other blogs: writers need a laptop with a nice keyboard, some memory, and, oh, it should have a screen—you know, for viewing things. The general assumption is that almost any laptop can be used for writing. While that’s true, some laptops ease our literary lives more than others. If you write for a living, then y...

Updated November 17, 2013, for you holiday shoppers …

I recently googled “best laptops for writers” and found that the the top results dispense advice that is either dated or just plain wrong. Here’s a brief summary of the suggestions from other blogs: writers need a laptop with a nice keyboard, some memory, and, oh, it should have a screen—you know, for viewing things. The general assumption is that almost any laptop can be used for writing. While that’s true, some laptops ease our literary l...

Welcome to my blog. I better get this thing started right:

Now that my blog isproperlychristened, onward to equally important matters.

While I am just beginning to explore the publishing world, my first discovery is that it feels like a place that would rather exist without modern technology. The literary universe longs for the musky smell of a printed page and finds comfort in the familiar creased spines of a filled bookshelf. On the other side of the spectrum, our digital-crazed culture covet...