Anthology Builder

Sometimes I feel like I’m on the edge between cool/hip and trendy.  The older I get the less I want to be trendy but some things are just too cool not to be shared. 

Less than a year ago, Anthology Builder went live.  If it weren’t for Rhonda’s announcement about one of her stories there it would be even longer before I heard about it.  Many anthologies are set around a theme or genre but with Anthology Builder you’re not restricted unless you make that choice.  Nearly all of the work has been published elsewhere first so at least one editor enjoyed the work. 

You can see anthologies built by others, read previews of the available stories, and review the stories.  Your anthology is customizable – you can keep it private so no one else can see your selections, choose your own cover and even select a larger font if you want.  After you’ve paid for your order, your anthology is printed and delivered to you.  How neat is that?

My husband recently introduced me to a web site called Muxtape.  I’ve only used it for listening to music but it’s a convenient way to share a play list with others.  Several people (including my husband) say it is super easy to register and upload songs.  Right now it only uses MP3 files but there are plans to add M4A and AAC files so it will work with last.fm in the future.

You know how with iTunes or Amazon you get those small previews that don’t really let you get the feel for a song?  With Muxtape you can hear the entire thing.  It tells you the song length and has a timer so you know how much of it you’ve heard.  Every play list I’ve listened to has an Amazon link available if you want to purchase that particular song.  They had a recent crash of their software which resulted in a loss of play lists.  The service has only been live since March but may be an alternative for people who want to make a mix tape but not actually send it out.