This week's publishing news and industry blogs post covers 10/3-10/17.
Publishing News
Canadian authors are also feeling the pinch in the Amazon-Hachette battle.
Hachette launches a portal for authors and agents, a place where authors and agents can access sales data and make communication easier.
Nook pairs up with 3M Library systems, with Barnes & Noble donating Nooks that libraries can lend to patrons without e-readers. These devices will have access to 3M Cloud Library Collection.
Amazon's crowdsourcing publishing program gets a name: KindleScout.
Amazon plans to open two retail shops in California to test Kindle projects and sell books. If they do well, there may be more in the future.
The latest version of Adobe Digital Editions has been found to be collecting and transmitting unencrypted user data, including user ID, device ID, IP address, duration books are read, and percentage of each book read. Adobe responds to concerns about this user privacy issue, noting that all data collection "is in line with the end user license agreement and the Adobe Privacy Policy," and also that they are working on an update to address the issue [apparently offering encryption for transmitted user data; I was unable to find a description of the exact nature of the update, though]. Publishers Weekly offers some more links and an explanation for the topic.
Industry Blogs
QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for 10/10.
Victoria Strauss warns not to fall for companies that offer to file copyright for you, for a hefty fee, when you can easily do it yourself for $35. Even ones that actually do what they claim (register your copyright for you in your own name) are a ripoff. (I've done registered a copyright myself. Yes, it's easy.) She offers as well other useful free things, such as an example official DMCA take-down notice (for if someone steals and posts your work without your permission) and a link to where you can go to register your copyright.
Agent Janet Reid answers questions and gives advice. For example, don't make these ten common social media promotion errors, like including links that don't work yet. She offers four phrases that turned her off queries, and how to write them better. And explains what it means to write with rhythm, looking at sentence length versus position in paragraph (and a followup explaining the math). Also, another post looking at ideal word count range and genre. What if you're writing two genres--will an agent be okay with you self-publishing the one they don't want? (Depends on the agent; also, don't be so sure your agent won't want the other genre, or won't call in a co-agent, if you are willing to traditionally publish it. Agents aren't always one-trick ponies.) If you pitched to an agent who requested a full, but later decided you wanted a different agent at the agency based on sales, is it okay to send it to the second agent? (Do it right and be polite; you may be shooting yourself in your own foot otherwise. Also, think hard about the assumptions you're making.)
On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal blog: Considering self-publishing? Author Tameri Etherton shares some of the issues and technical problems she faced on the way, giving a good idea of what a self-publisher has to think about. Also, author Nancy Gideon explains considerations of doing blog tours to have the greatest effect, and gives a ballpark figure for cost and what to look at if you're thinking about hiring a blog tour company.
On the Books & Such blog, agent Rachelle Gardner shares 6 tools to make your life easier, from Hootsuite to Audible. Agent Janet Grant explains how to make your book cover stand out (in a good way). And agent Mary Keeley offers suggestions on timing your book promotions around the release of your new book.
Agent Jessica Faust of the BookEnds Literary Agency introduces herself, agent Kim Lionetti, and agent Jessica Alvarez, and explains what each of them are looking for.
Publishers Weekly looks at the costs and gains, in both jobs and money, of mergers and "restructurings" of traditional publishers.
Publishers, when interviewed by Publishers Weekly, express opinions about Amazon's trial retail stores, most seeming it as a strategic business move worth watching.
Author Jim Hines posts his opinion about the Kindle Scout program, and decides he wouldn't recommend it, explaining his reasoning.
An editor at The New York Times writes an opinion piece that looks at the coverage of the Amazon-Hachette battle.
The Compound Interest posts a chemistry-based infographic explaining what causes that distinctive smell of print books [link goes to pdf of the infographic].
What publishing news have you encountered in the past two weeks?
Publishing News
Canadian authors are also feeling the pinch in the Amazon-Hachette battle.
Hachette launches a portal for authors and agents, a place where authors and agents can access sales data and make communication easier.
Nook pairs up with 3M Library systems, with Barnes & Noble donating Nooks that libraries can lend to patrons without e-readers. These devices will have access to 3M Cloud Library Collection.
Amazon's crowdsourcing publishing program gets a name: KindleScout.
Amazon plans to open two retail shops in California to test Kindle projects and sell books. If they do well, there may be more in the future.
The latest version of Adobe Digital Editions has been found to be collecting and transmitting unencrypted user data, including user ID, device ID, IP address, duration books are read, and percentage of each book read. Adobe responds to concerns about this user privacy issue, noting that all data collection "is in line with the end user license agreement and the Adobe Privacy Policy," and also that they are working on an update to address the issue [apparently offering encryption for transmitted user data; I was unable to find a description of the exact nature of the update, though]. Publishers Weekly offers some more links and an explanation for the topic.
Industry Blogs
QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for 10/10.
Victoria Strauss warns not to fall for companies that offer to file copyright for you, for a hefty fee, when you can easily do it yourself for $35. Even ones that actually do what they claim (register your copyright for you in your own name) are a ripoff. (I've done registered a copyright myself. Yes, it's easy.) She offers as well other useful free things, such as an example official DMCA take-down notice (for if someone steals and posts your work without your permission) and a link to where you can go to register your copyright.
Agent Janet Reid answers questions and gives advice. For example, don't make these ten common social media promotion errors, like including links that don't work yet. She offers four phrases that turned her off queries, and how to write them better. And explains what it means to write with rhythm, looking at sentence length versus position in paragraph (and a followup explaining the math). Also, another post looking at ideal word count range and genre. What if you're writing two genres--will an agent be okay with you self-publishing the one they don't want? (Depends on the agent; also, don't be so sure your agent won't want the other genre, or won't call in a co-agent, if you are willing to traditionally publish it. Agents aren't always one-trick ponies.) If you pitched to an agent who requested a full, but later decided you wanted a different agent at the agency based on sales, is it okay to send it to the second agent? (Do it right and be polite; you may be shooting yourself in your own foot otherwise. Also, think hard about the assumptions you're making.)
On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal blog: Considering self-publishing? Author Tameri Etherton shares some of the issues and technical problems she faced on the way, giving a good idea of what a self-publisher has to think about. Also, author Nancy Gideon explains considerations of doing blog tours to have the greatest effect, and gives a ballpark figure for cost and what to look at if you're thinking about hiring a blog tour company.
On the Books & Such blog, agent Rachelle Gardner shares 6 tools to make your life easier, from Hootsuite to Audible. Agent Janet Grant explains how to make your book cover stand out (in a good way). And agent Mary Keeley offers suggestions on timing your book promotions around the release of your new book.
Agent Jessica Faust of the BookEnds Literary Agency introduces herself, agent Kim Lionetti, and agent Jessica Alvarez, and explains what each of them are looking for.
Publishers Weekly looks at the costs and gains, in both jobs and money, of mergers and "restructurings" of traditional publishers.
Publishers, when interviewed by Publishers Weekly, express opinions about Amazon's trial retail stores, most seeming it as a strategic business move worth watching.
Author Jim Hines posts his opinion about the Kindle Scout program, and decides he wouldn't recommend it, explaining his reasoning.
An editor at The New York Times writes an opinion piece that looks at the coverage of the Amazon-Hachette battle.
The Compound Interest posts a chemistry-based infographic explaining what causes that distinctive smell of print books [link goes to pdf of the infographic].
What publishing news have you encountered in the past two weeks?
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