In The Trenches

 

In Publishing News this week…

In the continuing war against books… a Texas county has lost their court case to ban books from their library, in consequence they are considering closing the library. (Fill in appropriate words here $#@#$@&*)

The value of books and open access to knowledge is under threat. Don’t be complacent because it is happening over there… It might happen on your doorstep next week. 

 

Mark Williams has two related stories in The New Publishing Standard  on subscription models for readers this week. Kobo plus is expanding into more countries including the UK and the US and Bookbeat had a bumper quarter after getting rid of the all you can eat subscription model, which other digital reading services use. There will a lot of eyes on this result. Is this the new model for the future of digital subscription?

 

This week an article on Medium by Ash Roberts caught my eye. Why web3should be part of the publishing strategy for authors. It is a meaty article on the evolution of technological advances. When these advances impact on publishing, authors should be embracing them rather than running the other way. What do you think?

 

Around the publishing water cooler Children’s Authors are commenting on this story of a double standard. Maggie Tokuda Hall has a lovely picture book about her grandparents who met in an internment camp published by Candlewick – Scholastic wanted it for its educational division which would apply rocket fuel to sales- however they wanted the author to make changes that in all conscience she couldn’t make. Maggie explains the Faustian bargain on offer.

 

Publishers Weekly spoke to a panel of children’s book editors about the longevity of the Rick Riorden effect on mid-grade books.

 

Kris Rusch has a post on how writers fail… they get too successful. This is an interesting look at the way success can screw up your writing goals. Are you prepared?

 

Kathleen McCleary posting on Writer Unboxed asks how long does it really take to write a novel? Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol in six weeks… why can’t the rest of us do that?

 

Anne R Allen has a great guest post from Becca Puglisi on Theme and Symbolism and

Kay Di Bianca explains how to plot with post it notes. Find a handy wall…

 

In The Craft Section,

Understanding 3^rd person point of view- Tim Grahl- Bookmark

How do you move beyond the 3 act structure- Tiffany Yates Martin- Bookmark

Have you chosen the right POV for your story- K M Weiland- Bookmark

Does your story need conflict- Angela Ackerman- Bookmark

The benefits of writing longhand- Elizabeth Craig

 

In The Marketing Section,

BookDesign Templates are having a sale until 17th April (midnight) Use coupon code summer23 for 30% off – (I use these interior design templates and they are great.)

Booklinker have a comprehensive post on marketing- Bookmark

Mastering amazon ads one tweak at a time- Sandra Beckwith- Bookmark

2 interesting posts for Di Ann Mills -What is a one sheet and why do you need it? and

Enlisting your readers for blog ideas.

 

To Finish,

Sometimes writing and publishing can feel like a slog uphill while dodging falling boulders. Writing should be fun or at least energy giving. Heather Wood has five writing habits that you should incorporate into your writing routine to shake yourself up and Colleen Story has a fun alphabet of helpful tips for writers. 

Go forth and conquer that story.

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

Do you want the best of my bookmarked links in a handy monthly newsletter? When you subscribe you will also get a nifty mini book crammed with marketing notes as a thank you. 

If you like the blog and want to shout me a coffee, hit the coffee button up top or here. 

I appreciate the virtual coffee love. Thanks.

 

Pic:

Photo by British Library on Unsplash

Climbing To The Top

 

In Publishing News this week,

Amazon’s acquisition of MGM has been completed. Expect to see all those old classics turning up on Amazon Prime…. But it’s not just about the old classics it’s a consolidation of entertainment into streaming services. Choose your streaming hero. (Bond or Ironman)

 

The Society of Authors (UK) have launched a new campaign. Pay The Creator. They are highlighting the insidious tactic of firms asking for content then telling the creator to be happy with the exposure instead of the money. Try that on with your plumber. 

 

Another week another Brandon Sanderson comment this time from the man himself. He has also been surprised at how well he has done with his Kickstarter ($31 million and another week to go.) He wanted to prove some points to his publisher about bundling. It’s an interesting read and savvy authors will be taking notes for their own marketing ideas.

 

Kris Rusch has been taking an entertainment law class and she is fascinated with copyright. This post is a must read. If you think you know about copyright clauses you should still read this. If you think it is all too hard… just ask yourself, are you happy to be ripped off? 

 

Writer Beware has a new home- They are still run by Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America but now have a spiffy new website. Of course the old scams are still happening, this time with fancy new apps looking for content.

 

Joanna Penn has a fascinating interview with Elle Griffin on serial fiction, Substack newsletter being the new Patreon, and NFT’s. Elle has her finger in all of it and it is a glimpse of the future. For instance, take a character you create, licence them as an NFT for fan fiction….

 

Colleen Story has a great article on why writing success remains elusive to many writers, it’s not that you aren’t passionate enough…

 

Richard Thomas has an article on Litreactor about short term goals… Are you setting short term writing goals for your career? 

 

If you haven’t been writing under a rock you will have heard of the Hero’s Journey. Stefan Edmunds, guest posting on Anne R Allen’s blog, talks about The Adversity Cycle. This is a deep dive into adversity, the origins of story, and writing structure and offers a whole ‘nother way of looking at story. 

 

In the Craft Section,

Opening with a characteristic moment- K M Weiland-Bookmark

6 classic story structures- Writerswrite

Weaving flashbacks seamlessly- Tiffany Martin - Bookmark

2 great posts from Becca Puglisi-  Fear; relational commitment and Choosing the right job for your character- Bookmark Both

 

In The Marketing Section,

8 questions to know your audience better- Barb Roose- Bookmark

Manage your expectations- Sandra Beckwith- Bookmark

Revamp your old titles- Penny Sansevieri

10 ways to build your audience- Stephanie Chandler- Bookmark

Writers are not your competition- Angela Ackerman

 

To Finish,

Recently Katie Weiland updated an old article of hers – How to know when you’re a successful author. Katie drilled down into the meanings of success it comes down to who do you write for and why. So how do we answer these questions and not angst over the answers?

What is your definition of success? 

 

Maureen

@craicer

 

Do you want the best of my bookmarked links in a handy monthly newsletter? When you subscribe you will also get a nifty mini book crammed full with marketing notes as a thank you. 

If you like the blog and want to shout me a coffee, hit the coffee button up top or here. I appreciate the virtual coffee love. Thanks.

 

Pic Photo by Jukan Tateisi on Unsplash