Can a course teach you how to write a bestseller?
inews.co.uk – Thursday May 11, 2017
Two industry players are offering novel-writing courses. They don’t guarantee you’ll get published, but they can teach would-be authors a lot. Sophie Morris reports.
Literary agents aren't dead: Shark Tank for books
chicagonow.com – Wednesday May 10, 2017
The publishing landscape is rapidly changing. In the past, any aspiring author needed a publisher and landing a publisher almost always required a literary agent. This has changed with the rise of self-publishing, BUT it's important to keep things in perspective. I'm writing this series (part one here) to give ideas to writers (including myself) on how to navigate the new terrain while also doing somewhat of a myth buster on the notion that literary agents are now somehow extinct.
Religion Publishers See Growth in Children’s Books
publishersweekly.com – Wednesday May 10, 2017
New research shows that storybook Bibles, board books, and children’s devotionals are among the most popular books on the market in religion today, and Christian publishers are taking heed.
NPD BookScan presented a report at the 2016 Children’s Book Summit that revealed a compound annual growth rate of 4% in the children’s market from 2004-2015. (At the time the report was issued, BookScan was owned by Nielsen; in January, NPD Group acquired the research company.) Children’s religion book sales have jumped 22% from 2013-2016, according to BookScan (which tracks roughly 80% of print sales). The same report indicated that 11 of the top 20 bestselling religion titles from 2015-2016 were board books, while six were Bible storybooks.
New Amazon Buy Button Program Draws Ire of Publishers, Authors
publishersweekly.com – Tuesday May 9, 2017
A new program from Amazon is drawing a range of reactions from those across the publishing industry, from fear to downright anger. The e-tailer has started allowing third-party book re-sellers to "win" buy buttons on book pages. The program, publishers, agents, and authors allege, is discouraging customers from buying new books, negatively affecting sales and revenue.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 9, 2017
Publishes: Fiction; Nonfiction;
Areas include: Lifestyle; Religious;
Markets: Children's
Publishes fiction and nonfiction board books, novelty books, and picture books for children aged 0-8. Subjects include inspiration/faith, patriotism, and holidays, particularly Easter and Christmas; relationships and values; and general fiction. Board book manuscripts should be no longer than 250 words. Picture book manuscripts should be no longer than 800 words. Submit complete ms by post only - no queries or proposals or submissions by email. See website for full submission guidelines.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Monday May 8, 2017
Publishes: Fiction; News; Nonfiction; Reviews;
Areas include: Fantasy; Film; Sci-Fi;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Dark
Online magazine publishing science fiction and fantasy short stories between 500 and 15,000 words, and book, movie, and comic book reviews and news, slanted towards the science fiction and fantasy genres, between 500 and 3,000 words. Submit by email as .doc or OpenOffice documents. Responds in a month to all serious enquiries. Accepts simultaneous submissions, but no multiple submissions.
7 Things I've Learned About Writing From My Work As An Editor And An Author
bustle.com – Wednesday May 3, 2017
For many years, I worked as both an author and an editor, which always felt a bit like being a double agent. I’d spend the days considering other people’s manuscripts and the nights working on my own, which was something of a balancing act. But I always felt really lucky to have the perspective that comes with being on both sides of the desk. I mean, how many people find one job they love, much less two?
A couple years ago, around the time I started working on my new book, Windfall, I left my job as an editor to write full-time. But if there were unlimited hours in a day, I probably would’ve continued to do both forever. Being an editor absolutely made me a better writer, and being a writer undoubtedly made me a better editor, and I’m still so grateful for all that I learned along the way. So I thought it might be helpful if I shared of few of those lessons with you....
Literary agents aren't dead (part 1)
chicagonow.com – Wednesday May 3, 2017
There is a current trend, specifically on LinkedIn, to pronounce certain careers dead. It's getting to the point where no line of work seems safe anymore. The LinkedIn morticians have declared an end to everything from working a traditional sales jobs to being a lawyer.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday May 3, 2017
Publishes: Fiction;
Areas include: Fantasy; Romance; Sci-Fi; Short Stories;
Markets: Adult
Publishes speculative romance, including Paranormal Romance, Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Hard Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Space Opera, Solarpunk, Steampunk, Dieselpunk, Decopunk, Fantasy Romance, Science Fiction Romance, Paranormal Mystery, and Time Travel Romance. No horror, grimdark, or dystopia. Accepts submissions in specific submission windows only (see website for details). Also publishes anthologies of short stories. See website for current opportunities.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Tuesday May 2, 2017
Publishes: Essays; Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry;
Areas include: Short Stories;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
Accepts poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, between May 1 and September 1, annually. Send 3-5 poems, essays up to 6,000 words, or fiction between 1,000 and 6,000 words, through online submission system. Each piece of work must be accompanied by an account between 150 and 500 words, giving voice to the artist's approach.
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