Missing Oxford comma shows why writing skills matter
ft.com – Wednesday March 29, 2017
“For want of a comma, we have this case.” So begins a ruling this month by David Barron, a US Court of Appeals judge, deciding in favour of five Maine truck drivers who claimed they had been wrongly denied overtime payments by a dairy company with an inadequate grasp of English punctuation.
How to get a job in digital publishing
thebookseller.com – Wednesday March 29, 2017
No doubt you’ve heard many times about how competitive publishing is - and I’m not going to say otherwise. However, as someone ‘on the inside’ who recruits new employees for entry-level roles in the ebooks department at Penguin Random House, it’s part of my job to hold open the door for newcomers. Who might just be you.
7 Tips For Writing A Bestselling Science Fiction Novel
femalefirst.co.uk – Monday March 27, 2017
Don’t try to write a best-selling book. Because you can’t. One, if you just try to copy the current set of bestsellers, you’re already behind. If you can spot a trend, it’s because you’re behind it. Two, because no one really knows what things are going to be bestsellers. Publishers spend a lot of money promoting books that they want to be huge that don’t sell, while other books seemingly come out of nowhere and just perch on the top of lists.
‘Writing is not about youth but about spark’
irishtimes.com – Monday March 27, 2017
I’ve noticed recently that letters to young writers are becoming fashionable, for example, Colum McCann’s forthcoming book. But, in my case, I didn’t get my first story published till I was 30 and my first collection launched till I was 37. I wasn’t so much a late starter as a late knuckle-downer. So, this piece is for the not-so-young writers who should still go for it and make an impact on the world. Here are my pearls of wisdom (hopefully not paste):
Short story contest – deadline delayed
firstwriter.com – Sunday March 26, 2017
The deadline for firstwriter.com's Thirteenth International Short Story Contest has been delayed by one month to May 1, 2017, to allow for last minute entries.
Eight reasons that even a good book is rejected by publishers
scroll.in – Sunday March 26, 2017
Several years ago, as an aspiring novelist with stardust in my eyes, I used to spend most of my waking hours in Yahoo’s Books and Literature chatroom in the company of fellow aspiring writers. I clearly remember how one of the main topics of conversations used to be the number of rejection slips one had received on that particular day (or the previous week), agents/publishers who had requested a synopsis or proposal, and those who had just not bothered to respond. All of us were united by the looming sense of uncertainty, suspense, and the palpable realisation that the odds were firmly stacked against us.
Today, having spent more than seven years on the other side, first as a consultant and then an agent, I think many writers have wrong notions about rejections. While most books are rejected because of poor quality and incompetence (as they should be), there are several other factors that play a role in publishing decisions. And these affect “good” books too.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday March 24, 2017
Publishes: Fiction;
Areas include: Adventure; Science;
Markets: Children's
Publishes books that allow kids to experience science through adventure and discovery. Submit complete ms by email.
Indie publisher Influx launches Kickstarter to raise £15k
thebookseller.com – Friday March 24, 2017
Influx Press has created a Kickstarter campaign in a bid to grow its business.
Supported by industry figures including author and editorial director Max Porter and author and campaigner Nikesh Shukla, the publisher intends to raise £15,000 to fund the press for the next two years.
After five years of publishing and receiving previous Arts Council funding, Influx has decided to "go down the crowd-funding route", following the successes of popular campaigns including those for The White Review, Dodo Ink and The Good Immigrant (Unbound).
Adult Book Sales Fell, Kids Books Rose in October
publishersweekly.com – Friday March 24, 2017
Sales of adult trade books fell 13.1% in October compared to October 2015, while sales in the children’s/young adult segment rose 1.9%, according to figures released Wednesday morning by the AAP as part of its StatShot program.
The decline in adult trade was led by a 24.1% drop in hardcover sales, the biggest trade format, as well as a 21.0% decline in mass market paperback and a 31.9% drop in the sale of physical audiobooks. Sales of digital audiobooks rose 7.6% in the month over October 2015, and e-book sales were up 2.6%. For the first 10 months of 2016, sales in the adult trade category were down 3.2% compared to the same period a year ago.
Lit Agents Join Forces In Agents Round Table
publishersweekly.com – Friday March 24, 2017
In response to a changing marketplace, 10 women literary agents have launched the Agents Round Table (ART), a consortium of independent agents who have pledged to share knowledge, resources, and contacts.
The goal of ART, according to Regina Ryan who has an eponymous shingle, is to better meet the needs of their clients. "This is new in the publishing world," Ryan said. "My authors love the idea of my being able to consult with this group. They know they’re getting advice and wisdom from first-rate agents with literally hundreds of years’ of experience in publishing."
Get the free newsletter | Submit a news item or article | Get Writers' News for your website
