New Publisher Listing: Sparsile Books
firstwriter.com – Thursday December 7, 2023
A small boutique publisher, specializing in literary fiction and high quality non-fiction. We have an old-fashioned approach, which sees publishing in terms of an art. We have undertaken only to publish original and beautifully-crafted works with attention to historical detail and the poetry of language.
Leeke joins the Madeleine Milburn Agency
thebookseller.com – Wednesday December 6, 2023
Jessica Leeke is joining the Madeleine Milburn Literary, Film & TV Agency as literary agent.
She will start on 8th January, specialising in upmarket and book club fiction with global appeal.
Leeke began her career in advertising in New York before spending more than 15 years as an editor at Bloomsbury, Simon & Schuster and most recently Penguin Michael Joseph, where she was fiction publisher.
Shortlisted for the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize, she has acquired and edited authors who have become bestsellers and been shortlisted for prizes such as the Booker, Costa, Desmond Elliott, and Irish Book Award as well as securing picks for Richard & Judy, Radio 2 and the US TV book club.
The Ingredients for a First-Rate (Crime) Novel
By G. Miki Hayden
Instructor at Writer's Digest University online and private writing coach
firstwriter.com – Wednesday December 6, 2023
I’ve been an instructor at Writer’s Online Workshops (from Writer’s Digest) since the start of this century, and a writer and writing instructor since well before that. I’ve taught hundreds of classes, which I can multiply by a modest average of seven students per class, so I’ve seen a lot of student writing, and much of it even credible. Most of the work could use some smoothing out, aka editing, however, and I’ve done a lot of that daily in dealing with the many class assignments students post, plus in editing chapters and whole novels privately. I can find certifiable flaws in almost every piece I look at. If I can’t find defects (rarely), my mouth drops open in astonishment.
In a mystery writing class I taught in August 2019 (my student reminds me), I discovered quite a bit in the assignments from writers that needed improvement—not an unusual situation. But what was different from what I see in most of the class material I work with was a story with elements that were outstanding. The author (Walter Sutton) and I began to work with his pieces of writing in class, and then I worked with him after and since, to this very day, in editing two of his novels (going into the third): Finders Keepers and Losers Weepers, both now in print and ebook at Amazon, and with Flash Finnegan Book 3 to come, working title, Knick Knack Patty Whack.
But because I acted as the editor of the two finished/in print books from a traditional publisher, I couldn’t write a review to post on Amazon—such is the rule of the site—even though I’ve admired Walt’s work from the first, and I still do.
So I decided to write an article about the books and explain what I respect in author Suttons’ crime fiction novels and use that as a sort of lesson for other crime fic and even general fiction writers.
Leaver launches Gemini Books Group
thebookseller.com – Monday December 4, 2023
Marcus Leaver, formerly president of Sterling Publishing, c.e.o. of The Quarto Group and co-founder of the Welbeck Publishing Group, has formed Gemini Books Group, with the acquisitions of Imagine That!, Palazzo Editions, Ad Lib Publishers, Mardle Books and Pimpernel Press.
The announcement said Gemini “will build a publishing business focused on the UK and North American markets through the acquisition of established companies and by incubating start-up businesses in scalable areas of the market”. Gemini’s focus will be on non-fiction gift books and children’s books.
Jon Rippon, currently managing director of Palazzo and Ad Lib/Mardle, will transition to a new role as group finance director of Gemini.
New Literary Agent Listing: Aram Fox
firstwriter.com – Monday December 4, 2023
Crazy about commercial and literary fiction that put immersive storytelling front and center, and a wide range of nonfiction including memoir, narrative nonfiction, natural history and perspective-changing explainers and advice-givers.
3 writing tools to use and 3 to avoid: What I've learned writing 55,000 words of my fantasy novel
laptopmag.com – Sunday December 3, 2023
Writing is challenging, especially if you’re taking on a 110K-word fantasy novel like I am. If we were back in the pen and paper days, I would have given up years ago — my hand cramps just thinking about it. But we are in the modern era, and it’s time to let modern technology help us out (no, I’m not talking about AI, may the gods damn it to the nine hells).
Whether it’s a spellcheck, a planner, or the source of your manuscript, the tool you use needs to fit for the task at hand. I have used all three kinds of tools to elevate my writing, and I will continue to use it in order to hit my goal word count. But not every tool actually helped.
If you’re planning on putting the figurative pen to paper, here are 3 tools to use and 3 tools to avoid.
Woke books bought by publishers for hundreds of thousands FLOP after disastrous sales
gbnews.com – Sunday December 3, 2023
Woke books which received huge advances have flopped commercially following dire sales, industry experts claim.
Insiders suggest "ideological fanatics" who allow politics to dominate professional decisions have seen profits plummet.
Among the books which have suffered huge losses includes a memoir by actor Elliot Page about his journey transitioning.
"Pageboy" was bought for a $3million advance but has sold just 68,000 copies.
New Publishing Imprint Listing: American Mystery Classics
firstwriter.com – Thursday November 30, 2023
Dedicated to reissuing classic American mystery fiction in new hardcover and paperback editions.
How to Write a Book: A 10-Step Guide
awesomelyluvvie.com – Thursday November 30, 2023
Writing a book is both an art and a science. It’s a journey that demands creativity, discipline, and strategic planning. I’ve written 4 New York Times bestselling books in 8 years, and I’ve used the same formula to make each happen. And now, I want to help more people get their stories out in ink, through books. I know the power of books, because becoming an author has changed my life! That’s why I’ve created The Book Academy, and why I’m teaching others how to get published!
Here’s a comprehensive 10-step guide to help you navigate from a budding idea to a published masterpiece.
Do I Need a Literary Agent?
keepthefaith.co.uk – Thursday November 30, 2023
Literary agent Vanessa Grossett explains the reasons for needing a literary agent, and the ins and outs of finding one
“Do I need a literary agent?” or “I am looking for a Christian-based literary agent” are the common question and statement I have been receiving lately, especially from new authors. Here is some info about why you might need one and how to find one.
What does a literary agent do?
A literary agent, sometimes called a literary manager, sells manuscripts on behalf on their authors. They manage their authors by making sure manuscripts get delivered on time to their editor; reading through contracts; some negotiate deals, and help promote their clients’ books.
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