What's the Future of Books?
esquire.com – Thursday November 9, 2023
The publishing industry is in flux. One major publisher has been acquired by a private equity firm, editors are departing (and getting laid off) from others, there are fewer book media outlets than ever, and most literary discourse is happening online. But what does it all mean for the books themselves, and the ways that readers are discovering them? Here, we make some predictions about the future of books.
“Celebrities and tastemakers are becoming the new medium for discovery,” says Ariele Fredman, a literary agent at United Talent Agency who previously launched eight #1 New York Times bestsellers as a publicist. As a result, it will be more important than ever for debut novels to land on book club rosters.
A Reese Witherspoon, Oprah, or Jenna Bush endorsement can be enough to not only secure a spot on the bestseller list, but anoint an author with a fanbase that lasts. “If you don't get one of those coveted spots, it becomes even harder to break a new voice,” Fredman adds.
Outside of those chosen debuts, “we're going to see a continued investment in bigger-name authors” from publishers, says former editor Molly McGhee, the author of Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, “because they have guaranteed returns on investment.”
Has It Ever Been Harder to Make a Living As An Author?
esquire.com – Wednesday November 8, 2023
In early August, after Andrew Lipstein published The Vegan, his sophomore novel, a handful of loved ones asked if he planned to quit his day job in product design at a large financial technology company. Despite having published two books with the prestigious literary imprint Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, Lipstein didn’t have any plans to quit; he considers product design to be his “career,” and he wouldn’t be able to support his growing family exclusively on the income from writing novels. “I feel disappointed having to tell people that because it sort of seems like a mark of success,” he said. “If I’m not just supporting myself by writing, to those who don't know the reality of it, it seems like it's a failure in some way.”
The myth of The Writer looms large in our cultural consciousness. When most readers picture an author, they imagine an astigmatic, scholarly type who wakes at the crack of dawn in a monastic, book-filled, shockingly affordable house surrounded by nature. The Writer makes coffee and sits down at their special writing desk for their ritualized morning pages. They break for lunch—or perhaps a morning constitution—during which they have an aha! moment about a troublesome plot point. Such a lifestyle aesthetic is “something we’ve long wanted to believe,” said Paul Bogaards, the veteran book publicist who has worked with the likes of Joan Didion, Donna Tartt, and Robert Caro. “For a very small subset of writers, this has been true. And it’s getting harder and harder to do.”
Demand for creative writing courses outpaces supply
stanforddaily.com – Tuesday November 7, 2023
It might seem that putting words to paper is hard, but for those interested in creative writing classes, it might be more difficult to get into a class.
Many creative writing courses are known for their long waitlists and enrollment caps, but the root of the issue lies with a low supply of lecturers and courses to meet the high student demand for courses. The low supply of lecturers stems from an even larger problem: funding.
For Kathaleen Mallard ’25, it was incredibly difficult for her to get into the creative writing classes she wanted, even as an English major with a creative writing emphasis.
“I feel like the demand was obviously much greater than the amount of classes that there were, so it was hard to get into anything,” Mallard said. Some of her courses required course enrollment forms, but seniority remained a large factor of selection, making it difficult to enroll into the classes that were part of the core major requirements.
Mallard believes that this could affect students in the future who wish to pursue an English major with a creative writing emphasis or a creative writing minor, who may not get to explore classes in the department because of low enrollment caps. She also raised the waitlist experience for creative writing courses. Since most people are unlikely to drop their spots in class, it’s really hard to get off the waitlist for these classes, Mallard said.
From Dream to Draft: Transform Your Ideas with Creative Writing Courses
fleepbleep.com – Friday November 3, 2023
Are you an aspiring writer with a head full of stories waiting to be told? Do you have a burning desire to share your thoughts, emotions, and imagination with the world? If so, you’re not alone. Many dream of becoming writers but struggle to turn their ideas into fully-fledged drafts. The good news is that there’s a path from dream to draft, and it often begins with creative writing courses.
In this article, we’ll explore the transformative power of creative writing courses, how they can help you unlock your creativity, hone your skills, and ultimately bring your writing dreams to life. Whether you’re a complete novice or an experienced writer looking to refine your craft, read on to discover how these courses can be your guiding light on the journey from dream to draft.
The Ultimate Guide to Finding a Literary Agent for Your Book
legaldesire.com – Thursday November 2, 2023
If you’re an aspiring author who dreams of publishing your book by a traditional publishing house, securing a literary agent is essential. A literary agent acts as a professional representative, connecting authors with publishers. Their industry connections, expertise, and experience are instrumental in selling your manuscript to the right publisher, negotiating favorable deals, and safeguarding your rights.
However, finding the ideal literary agent who is genuinely interested in your book and can secure the best deal can be daunting. Standing out from many aspiring authors and avoiding scams and pitfalls are common concerns.
In this guide, we will address these questions and provide valuable insights on how to find a literary agent. Whether your book is fiction or nonfiction, Christian or secular, genre-specific or literary, we will offer the best tips and strategies to help you find and attract the perfect agent for your manuscript.
Amazon Sues Scammers Targeting Authors
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday November 1, 2023
Amazon this week announced that it has filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California against some 20 individuals scamming authors by falsely claiming an affiliation with Amazon Publishing and Kindle Direct Publishing. According to the suit, the scammers run fake Amazon knockoff websites designed to lure would-be authors into paying a fee to publish, and then deliver either substandard or no service at all.
“Defendants use the Amazon Marks in their domain names and on their websites to divert victims from Amazon’s genuine websites to Defendants’ websites that purport to offer services to help authors create, edit, and publish their works through [Amazon Publishing or Kindle Direct Publishing],” the suit states, adding that, “to further the ruse of affiliation with Amazon” the websites often have chat boxes or advertise phone numbers to call that provide “false and misleading representations of affiliation with Amazon.”
Kindle Direct Publishing Will Beta Test Virtual Voice–Narrated Audiobooks
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday November 1, 2023
In a post today in the Kindle Direct Publishing community forum, the self-publishing giant announced that it has begun a beta test on technology allowing KDP authors to produce audiobook versions of their e-books using virtual voice narration. The ability to create an audiobook using synthetic speech technology is likely to result in a boom in the number of audiobooks produced by KDP authors. According to an Amazon spokesperson, currently only 4% of titles self-published through KDP have an audiobook available.
Under the new initiative, authors can choose one of their eligible e-books already on the KDP platform, then sample voices, preview the work, and customize the audiobook. After publication, audiobooks will be live within 72 hours, and will distributed wherever Audible titles are sold. Prices can be set between $3.99 and $14.99 and authors will receive a 40% royalty. All audiobooks created by virtual voice, the post says, will be clearly labeled and, as with any audiobook, customers can listen to samples.
New Magazine Listing: Abridged
firstwriter.com – Monday October 30, 2023
Aims to publish and exhibit contemporary/ experimental poetry plus contemporary art. Each issue is themed. Themes focus on contemporary concerns in a rapidly changing society. We are offering an alternative and complete integration of poetry, art and design. We experiment continually.
New Magazine Listing: The Passionfruit Review
firstwriter.com – Friday October 27, 2023
The theme for general submissions is love: the romantic, the familial, the platonic, the intimate, the lost, the young, the wretched. Above all, Passionfruit seeks to be a home for that which illuminates something of the human spirit – pieces that explore what love is (or isn’t, or might be), when we love, how we love, what we love, and why we love.
Our focus is on poetry, but there are no particular restrictions on genre, type, or style – we will consider poetry, prose, and visual art for each issue.
New Publisher Listing: Hashtag Press
firstwriter.com – Wednesday October 25, 2023
We are looking for excellent writers with brilliant diverse stories to tell.
Please read the about us before submitting to us. We would prefer books that haven't been published already.
We love diverse and inclusive books! We are open to debut authors especially those from an underrepresented background. We publish commercial fiction books for young people that are plot driven with relatable, inspiring characters.
We are a tiny publishing house, so we are incredibly selective.
Any books that are not diverse or inclusive will be a no.
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