Yearly Archives: 2014

Libraries as Publishers

Here’s a new idea: Libraries publishing their own books.

Libraries have been struggling for a long time. Funding cuts have reduced their hours, higher print costs have reduced the number of books they can purchase, and ebooks have been difficult to loan because publishers don’t always want to release them to libraries.

IngramSpark, an imprint that focuses on self-published authors, is joining the Williamson County Public Library in Tennessee to create Academy Park Press.

The unit will release a children’s book as their first title. Bucky and Bonnie’s Library Adventure was written by the library staff. They feel that it’s another way libraries are transforming just as the rest of the publishing and media industries are changing.

For three months, they will be open to submissions by local authors.

Guess the Classics

A fun quizz from Buzzfeed that asks you to match the opening line of several classic books with the title in a multiple-choice format. How well did you do?

Anticipated Book Adaptations

Check out this blog entry for 2014’s most anticipated book adaptations, including Far from the Madding Crowd, Serena, The Fault in Our Stars, and Gone Girl.

Just for Fun: Book Publishing Infographic

Very funny infographic…because it’s true! I connect with the pathway that works with corresponding with friends according to your favorite genre.

Book Agent Info

Meet face to face with an agent at the Wyoming Writers Conference June 6-8. Held in Sheridan, WY, the conference offers Laura Rennert of Andrea Brown Literary and Jessica Sinsheimer of Sarah Jane Freymann Literary.

Book Agent Info

Lara Perkins of Andrea Brown Lit likes smart, raw YA fiction, character-driven middle grade, and picture books; she loves mystery and “the wonderfully weird, the idiosyncratic, and the entirely unexpected.”

How Many People Did You Kill Today?

Insight into the life of a writer at this new blog post I added to the Rensing Center blog.

New Review Opportunity

Parnassus Books has launched an online literary journal called Musing. Targeting bookstore employees, the publication will feature reviews, recommendations, and author interviews.

2013 Bestsellers

Great news for authors working with fiction: 2013 again proved that fiction is the top choice among readers.

The books ranged from juvenile lit like books from the Wimpy Kid series to the YA Divergent series. Ebooks also held fiction in the prime spot; the top 20 bestselling Kindle books were all novels.

Writing at Downton Abbey

Here’s a link to a new blog post I added to the Rensing Center’s blog. It’s kind of like being at a Southern Downton Abbey!

Book Clubs for Men

I have posted here before on The Oprah Effect, how authors might rise after receiving a nod from this powerful club. But Edward Nawotka, Editor in Chief of Publishing Perspectives, says Oprah isn’t talking to men.

His book club, he notes, is as serious as any populated mostly by women. They read widely, in a variety of genres…and only read fiction. This goes against the standard wisdom publishers hold out that says women read as much as 80% of all fiction published in the U.S. today.

He asks when publishers will begin to take male readers as seriously as men take themselves.

If you’re writing for a broad type of reader, know that men are just as engaged with your work as women.

The Oprah Effect V. 2.0

Oprah’s book club was rebooted to the relief of many publishers and authors alike. The bump that could come from being selected for the club made a number of careers.

Now it looks like there is the potential to go further with a pick from her team. She has her own TV channel, a popular monthly magazine and digital components that expand on both.

The Oprah Effect didn’t lift every pick to bestseller lists, and it’s likely that not every book in the revived club will benefit. But it is one of the few avenues left for readers to find great books…and for authors to be found.

Just for Fun

List of 10 wonderfully strange libraries. My fav? The burro bag!

Book Agent Info

Nikki Terpilowski of Holloway Lit wants women’s fiction, southern fiction, multicultural literary fiction, upmarket African-American fiction, steam funk, romance, military and espionage thrillers, historical fiction, nonfiction with a strong platform and academic assessments of popular culture, graphic novels, Manga, YA, MG and children’s picture books.

She is especially interested in time travel, reincarnation, mythology, ancient civilizations, magical and animist realism, Japan, American history, military, espionage, martial arts, narrative nonfiction about food and beverage, travel or expat life, international relations and foreign policy, and nonfiction on spirituality, parenting, health and wellbeing.

Artist Colonies

I’m currently on a six-week residency program to work on the first draft of my new novel. Residency programs are offered by a number of organizations, including artist colonies. Having one or more listed on your resume can capture attention from agents and publishers; during the program, you can often expand your network of arts administrators and fellow authors.

Check out the Alliance of Artists Communities for information on many colonies that accept authors.