Kirkus Media is looking for experienced book reviewers of English and Spanish-language titles to review for Kirkus Indie, the book review magazine’s section dedicated to self-published authors. Reviews are in the same format and held to the same high standards as other sections of Kirkus Reviews.
Click here for more details.
I haven’t read a book this well written in a long time. Subtle yet with an emotional resonance that sticks with you long after you put it down. The doctor’s internal journey is reflected in various events that happen around him. Some are almost-events…things that happen only in his imagination, and that are symbols of a mind in turmoil. Others are real, and bring him to a dangerous place that threatens his family. He has to step up and be the man everyone has mistaken him for up until now.
Clearly I’m going to seek out other books by this author.
5 stars!
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI
“We are seeking a creative, visionary Editor in Chief to oversee the Eerdmans adult editorial program. This directly involves the long-range planning of the program and acquisitions for the program. The position is also indirectly responsible for the editorial preparation of projects selected for the program, the supervision of the editorial staff, and the coordination of editorial work with the work of the other departments in the company. The position is full time and on-site, and it reports to the president and publisher.”
Click here for details.
For authors who are working in traditional publishing, almost always it is best to stick with one genre until the third book.
Publishers want to keep the foundation of readers generated during the first book’s sales life and build on that with a second book that is in the same genre.
One you have a third book out, you and your agent can discuss whether you have enough name cache to be able to switch genres. If you do, you can switch to something similar.
If you have achieved bestseller status before then, of course, you can write just about anything you like!
Self-publishers should also take this advice but work it a different way. Target all your marketing to specific genres. Only overlap when you know a particular promo will reach readers of more than one genre. This allows your marketing to be more effective, and saves time and money.
Open Road Media (“Open Road”) is a well-funded New York-based digital and multimedia content company that is positioned to leverage the rise of digital (ebook) publishing. Open Road creates connections between authors and their audiences by marketing its ebooks through a new proprietary online platform, which uses premium video content, social media and digital advertising. Authors whose works are being publishing in digital form by Open Road include Alice Walker, Pat Conroy, Jack Higgins and Pearl Buck. In addition, several publishers and agencies’ lists are now digitized, distributed, and marketed by Open Road.
Open Road, founded in 2009 by Jane Friedman, Chief Executive Officer, and Jeffrey Sharp, President of Production, is known for its emphasis on author brands and continuous marketing.
This position, which reports to Chief Marketing and Product Officer (CMPO), Rachel Chou, will help lead Open Road Integrated Media’s special (premium) sales and specialty channels and will the oversee education and library market sales team. Additionally, the candidate will work with the CMPO and the marketing team in developing and implementing online and offline marketing content for these marketplaces, and creating custom publishing opportunities.
Click here for details and to apply.
This is one of those books that when I was done, I just thought, Wow! I’ll be thinking about this one for a very long time. A lot of complexity here with his daughter, the international journey to look for his wife, and his own demons. I really enjoyed this one!
5 stars!
Guilford Press is an independent academic/scholarly press located in midtown Manhattan. We publish outstanding titles in psychology, education, geography and related fields. We are a very productive company with high standards in a collaborative environme
The marketing department at Guilford is fast-paced, productive, and highly invested in the quality of our work, and is seeking a full-time Marketing Administrative Assistant to join our team. At least two years’ administrative experience, with book publishing experience preferred.
The Marketing Administrative Assistant has a busy and detailed role in supporting the marketing department, which includes:
• Securing pre-publication endorsements from prominent professionals for use online, on book jackets, and in marketing materials.
• Effectively tracking rapidly-changing status of dozens of projects.
• Accurately updating our title information database, including making copy changes and entering various information.
• Processing a variety of departmental memos that relate to the endorsement process.
• Various other administrative duties, such as completing audits and running reports, as needed.
Click here for details and to apply.
Sometimes people have a knack for writing their own query letter. Often they don’t.
It’s not because they can’t write well; it’s because the query is a sales tool and few authors, fiction or nonfiction, are trained in sales techniques.
Queries have a second obstacle built in: until an author is published, they often don’t know what the publishing industry expects them to include in the query or the book proposal. They don’t know the buzzwords, they aren’t sure how to position their work in the market, they don’t know what trends are current and what is fading rapidly away. The mistargeting of only one of these items is enough to make an agent or publisher stop reading and move on to the next query.
Practice is fine. Publishing industry savvy is much, much better.
Display natural talant by:
–Reading industry publications: Publisher’s Weekly, Writer’s Digest, etc.
–Read industry blogs: Huffington Post has several, and up-and-coming authors often blog about their experiences.
–Subscribe to industry newsletters. Publisher’s Weekly has a free e-newsletter, as does Writer’s Digest. There are tons of free e-newsletters out there. I sift through a few dozen every week.
Baker Publishing Group, in Ada, is currently accepting applications for a full-time in-house editor in the trade department. The trade department produces books in a wide variety of categories, including fiction, youth, devotional, self-help, relationships, marriage, parenting, cultural critique, professional, spirituality, biblical studies, and apologetics. Responsibilities include editing or managing the editing of assigned titles, corresponding with authors, combining author and proofreader corrections, and reviewing cover and catalog copy.
Qualifications:
A candidate should have a BA in English or other related majors, or equivalent work experience; three to five years of book-editing experience; knowledge of the Bible; a familiarity with Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.; excellent copyediting, grammar, and spelling skills; and proficiency in Microsoft Word. Personal characteristics should include an attention to detail, strong organizational skills, the ability to handle multiple tasks, and the ability to work well with others.
Click here for details and to apply.
I read this because I enjoyed Blindness so much. This one turned out to be a bit more political than I usually like. However, I enjoyed it quite a bit, in no small part because of the wry humor the author brought to the topic.
3 stars.
How women are presented in fiction (and whether they appear in fiction at all) is important enough to have another look at the issue via this fellow author’s blog post.
Fortress Popular is a new unit of Fortress Press. It targets the general consumer with books that are culturally engaged and grounded in fresh, substantive, accessible, and inspiring theological reflection.
The unit needs a marketing manager to build a strong brand and achieve financial goals.
-Work with the Vice President & Publisher in the development, positioning, messaging, and launch of the brand and its products.
-Lead marketing communications strategy, campaign planning, execution, monitoring, and analysis of the brand and its products.
-Guide the effective use of a range of marketing tactics/tool including print, e-mail, web, social media, SEO, etc. Ensure that team stays abreast of emerging marketing trends.
-Manage internal and external creative talent to deliver breakthrough work on time and on budget.
-Evaluate the effectiveness of marketing initiatives using a variety of data sources.
-Achieve annual quantitative goals (including sales, customer retention, market share, etc.) for assigned product lines.
-Participate in the annual budget and revenue forecasting process. Manage assigned portions of marketing department budget.
-Contribute to the evaluation of new project acquisitions, partnerships, and series development with development teams.
-Collaborate with internal customer-facing teams to effectively reach organizational goals.
Click here for details.
Fantastic story. Other people told me this is a book-length rant against consumerism, and I don’t care. I read it for how the characters interacted, how they faced the challenges before them. It ended pretty much where and how I expected…and that was not disappointing. It has a strong message beyond anything it might say about consumerism and provides a deeply satisfying read.
5 stars!
The Scripps College Writing Program seeks a distinguished visiting writer for the Mary Routt Endowed Chair of Writing during the spring semester of 2016. The successful candidates will serve as Mary Routt Chair of Writing throughout the spring semester (from mid-January to mid-May). The Chair will teach one writing workshop course of his or her own design and will give two public readings or talks. We are looking for candidates with a significant record of publication in creative nonfiction, fiction, or poetry; we prefer candidates who can show evidence of outstanding teaching ability. For more information on the Mary Routt Chair position, see http://www.scrippscollege.edu/departments/writing-program/mary-routt-chair.
Writer's Resource/Sunspot Lit 