Publishing news and industry blogs for 1/10-1/30.
Publishing News
Apple says its iBookstore now has 1 million users each week.
A new company offers an alternative book discovery tool.
Harry Potter's on Oyster.
In China, authors will be forced to abandon the practice of online pen names.
The Canadian Competition Bureau asks Kobo and Indigo Books and Music to turn over records. Kobo states that the request is unfair.
Simon & Schuster debuts a new marketing unit to help authors build audiences.
Amazon unveils a new tool for self-publishing textbooks.
HarperCollins starts selling books through social media.
Industry Blogs
QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for
Agent Victoria Strauss on Writer Beware explains two problematic lines to watch out for in contracts, and why they're problematic. Also, she inquires Author Translation for more about their services, but check out their communications with Strauss (she posts their responses to her questions verbatim... not really a team I'd be wanting to work with).
Agent Nephele Tempest explains how referrals work. She also posts interesting literary links, for 1/23 and 1/16.
Agent Kristin Nelson shares her 2014 year-end stats. And her tales from the submission inbox.
Agent Janet Reid offers advice and answers questions. Publishing credits do have expiration dates--don't reach for things you published as a kid. Are print-only deals a dream? (For agents, yes, but it's possible with editors... just be careful and don't pin your hopes on old data.) If an agent once passed on a work but invited you to query with future works, how do you do so? And the dangers of trying to write and publish material reused in a collaborative roleplay (don't do it; or for roleplays in general... the legal issues are too great with multiple rights holders).
Reid answers more questions and gives more advice. Self-published some of your short stories; can you reuse them? (Yes, in certain ways.) And don't be afraid of "wasting" an agent's time--you're not. Writers are how they make their money. How many clients are too many for an agent? (There's no set limit to the numbers of clients an agent can successfully handle; don't let a long list put you off.) And what if your agent is quitting agenting, but wants to keep your book and keep agenting it anyway? (No. Flattering as it may be, it's not best for you.)
And more from Reid: Is 1st/3rd POV okay? (Do what works for the story.) After how many query rejections should you call it quits on a manuscript? (Seriously, don't count your rejections.) How do you introduce new characters' names and nicknames? (It depends on the tone of the story, but whatever fits.) If you offer a .mobi file to your beta readers and your betas put it on their personal Kindles, does that count as published? (No; published refers to having an ISBN and available sale, but you might want make sure the file is labeled as a draft.) Do agents who are authors hire other agents? (Yes. They don't rep their own books.)
Kristin Kaythrn Rusch, author and book business blogger, takes a look at the data behind Digital Book World's numbers on how digital book sales have impacted print book sales... and finds the numbers deserve a good, hard look. And the rise of the backlist is, in part, related to the changing ways of reporting book sales.
Agent Rachelle Gardener on whether or not you should consider quitting your dayjob yet.
Agent Jessica Faust tells us to make the most of publicity... and how to do so.
On the Editor's Blog, how do you make a manuscript sound like a published novel?
On QueryTracker, dealing with the publishing blues. And some tools for book promotion (though I'm not much for paying for a blog tour). And don't forget to exercise--just stand up every hour or so, at least. (Try finding a way to make yourself an standing desk if you can--I find it helps, at least, even if it's juryrigged.)
Wouldn't you love to be on Zuckerberg's book club list? Talk about nice sales!
Virginia Woolf's advice for writers (an infographic from EssayMama).
ADDED LATE: Fellow NC author Fraser Sherman posts a great set of writing related links.
What publishing news have you encountered in the past three weeks?
Publishing News
Apple says its iBookstore now has 1 million users each week.
A new company offers an alternative book discovery tool.
Harry Potter's on Oyster.
In China, authors will be forced to abandon the practice of online pen names.
The Canadian Competition Bureau asks Kobo and Indigo Books and Music to turn over records. Kobo states that the request is unfair.
Simon & Schuster debuts a new marketing unit to help authors build audiences.
Amazon unveils a new tool for self-publishing textbooks.
HarperCollins starts selling books through social media.
Industry Blogs
QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for
Agent Victoria Strauss on Writer Beware explains two problematic lines to watch out for in contracts, and why they're problematic. Also, she inquires Author Translation for more about their services, but check out their communications with Strauss (she posts their responses to her questions verbatim... not really a team I'd be wanting to work with).
Agent Nephele Tempest explains how referrals work. She also posts interesting literary links, for 1/23 and 1/16.
Agent Kristin Nelson shares her 2014 year-end stats. And her tales from the submission inbox.
Agent Janet Reid offers advice and answers questions. Publishing credits do have expiration dates--don't reach for things you published as a kid. Are print-only deals a dream? (For agents, yes, but it's possible with editors... just be careful and don't pin your hopes on old data.) If an agent once passed on a work but invited you to query with future works, how do you do so? And the dangers of trying to write and publish material reused in a collaborative roleplay (don't do it; or for roleplays in general... the legal issues are too great with multiple rights holders).
Reid answers more questions and gives more advice. Self-published some of your short stories; can you reuse them? (Yes, in certain ways.) And don't be afraid of "wasting" an agent's time--you're not. Writers are how they make their money. How many clients are too many for an agent? (There's no set limit to the numbers of clients an agent can successfully handle; don't let a long list put you off.) And what if your agent is quitting agenting, but wants to keep your book and keep agenting it anyway? (No. Flattering as it may be, it's not best for you.)
And more from Reid: Is 1st/3rd POV okay? (Do what works for the story.) After how many query rejections should you call it quits on a manuscript? (Seriously, don't count your rejections.) How do you introduce new characters' names and nicknames? (It depends on the tone of the story, but whatever fits.) If you offer a .mobi file to your beta readers and your betas put it on their personal Kindles, does that count as published? (No; published refers to having an ISBN and available sale, but you might want make sure the file is labeled as a draft.) Do agents who are authors hire other agents? (Yes. They don't rep their own books.)
Kristin Kaythrn Rusch, author and book business blogger, takes a look at the data behind Digital Book World's numbers on how digital book sales have impacted print book sales... and finds the numbers deserve a good, hard look. And the rise of the backlist is, in part, related to the changing ways of reporting book sales.
Agent Rachelle Gardener on whether or not you should consider quitting your dayjob yet.
Agent Jessica Faust tells us to make the most of publicity... and how to do so.
On the Editor's Blog, how do you make a manuscript sound like a published novel?
On QueryTracker, dealing with the publishing blues. And some tools for book promotion (though I'm not much for paying for a blog tour). And don't forget to exercise--just stand up every hour or so, at least. (Try finding a way to make yourself an standing desk if you can--I find it helps, at least, even if it's juryrigged.)
Wouldn't you love to be on Zuckerberg's book club list? Talk about nice sales!
Virginia Woolf's advice for writers (an infographic from EssayMama).
ADDED LATE: Fellow NC author Fraser Sherman posts a great set of writing related links.
What publishing news have you encountered in the past three weeks?
pt? (Seriously, don't count your rejections.) How do you introduce new characters' names and nicknames? (It depends on the tone of the story, but whatever fits.) If you offer a .mobi file to your beta readers and your betas put it on their personal Kindles, does that count as published? (No; published refers to having an ISBN and available sale, but you might want make sure the file is labeled as a draft.) Do agents who are authors hire other agents? (Yes. They don't re
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