Yeah, but can I buy it in a gas station?

After much waiting, Random House recently annouced that Dan Brown's follow-up to The Da Vinci Code, titled The Lost Symbol, will be published September 15th. They're planning to print up 5 million copies of the thing, so availability shouldn't be an issue.

Still writing.

The rumors of Gabriel Garcia Marquez' retirement from writing were apparently greatly exaggerated. "I'll know when the pastries that I have in the oven are ready for the eating," he He told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, "I don't do anything but write."

Are you a budding children's author?

If you’re an unpublished author of children’s books, consider entering the Cheerios “Spoonful of Stories” contest. For the third year in a row, the cereal maker will award one author $5,000 as well as the opportunity to distribute their book inside specially marked boxes of cereal. You’ll also get the eyes of editors at Simon and Schuster.

Who knows were it could lead. Shellie Braeuner, the winner of the first contest, will see her book, “The Great Dog Wash” published by Simon and Schuster this summer. Entries will be accepted until July 15th. For full details go to www.spoonfulofstoriescontest.com.

Pay to Play

Beginning April 27, historian Ben Wilson will offer his new book, "What Price Liberty?" as a pay-what-you-like e-book for six weeks. During that time, visitors can download the book and pay as much or as little as they like. If that sounds familiar, it's because Radiohead did the same thing for the release of their In Rainbows album. In their case, only 38% of fans paid anything at all. Faber, the book's publisher, admits its a bit of a gamble, though Wilson's upbeat. "The ideas are always judged in the same way, whether someone's paid £14.99 or a penny," he told The Guardian. "Any way you can get those ideas out there, the better."

Academic Author a Certified Bad Ass

It all started with an Amazon.com post. Michael Cuhaci bought "A Student's Guide to Maxwell's Equation," an elucidation of complex mathematic concepts from web retailer Amazon.com, but when he got the book it was riddled with errors. So he posted an Amazon review. Turns out author Dan Fleisch was keeping tabs on his book, and he posted a follow-up, stating he was the author and that he'd make sure Cuhaci got a proper version of the book.

Problem was it was Christmas Eve.

Long story short, Fleisch paid close to $500 to fly to Canada, where Cuhaci lives, to hand-deliver a copy of the book. On Christmas Day. Top that, Jackie Collins!

Looking to get published?

Amazon.com and Penguin are accepting submissions for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition at www.amazon.com/abna through midnight EST on Feb. 8, 2009. This is the second year for the contest.

On March 16th, 500 quarterfinals will be announced. That number will be whittled down to 100 semifinalists, who will be announced April 15th. The winner, who will receive a $25,000 advance, will also receive a publishing contract with Penguin.

Last year's winner was Bill Loehfelm, whose book Fresh Kills came out last summer and sold a respectable 5,000 copies in hardcover. That might not sound like a barnburner to you, but it was enough to secure a contract for a second novel, and the reviews of his debut were favorable.

Meet Kat Von D at Borders

Kat Von D, tattooist and star of the show LA Ink, will be at the Midtown Borders at 72nd and Dodge Tuesday, February 10th at 1pm to sign copies of her new book High Voltage Tattoo.