This week's publishing news and industry blogs post covers 3/30-4/15/16.
Publishing News
The Supreme Court has delayed the decision on the Google book-scanning case until at least April 15.
Meanwhile, federal court has decided that the Georgia State University's library-scanning project, which aimed to digitize course readings as e-reserves for academic use (protected by a login), is considered fair use in all but 7 of the 48 counts.
Barnes and Noble will be outsourcing some of its Nook functions to Bahwan CyberTek.
Amazon debuts the Kindle Oasis, a new high-end e-reader designed to be light, fast, and ergonomic.
Following the cancellation by author Sherman Alexie, North Carolina booksellers beg authors not to abandon the bookstores because of the passage of the HB2 "bathroom" bill, and reiterate their stance against the bill (a vile piece of late-night, closed-session, pork-barrelled, fear-mongering legislation that many business owners, including bookstore owners, and private citizens despise and are advocating for the overturning thereof. Why yes, my personal opinion IS showing). Book and author associations including the ABA, the AAP, the ALA, and others also ask authors not to boycott the state's independent booksellers.
Sourcebooks has acquired its book through Wattpad.
Industry Blogs
Agent Janet Reid answers questions and gives publishing advice. Is it okay to publish a short story you previously published through a magazine on your website? (It depends on your contract with the magazine.) You've already self-published books under a pseudonym; do you need to tell the agent in the query for a book under your real name? (Yes, you need to admit they exist, but you don't have to explicit.) Will an agent still want to sign you if you only plan to write one book? (If it's a good book, you can still get an agent as a one-book writer.) Also, don't limit your description of female characters to their sex appeal and/or hair color.
More from Reid: What to do if you find a mistake AFTER you send the query.
Agent Jessica Faust talks publishing industry. How do you make sure your blurb matches your plot? She also gives advice on effective query writing.
On QueryTracker, writer Jane Lebak talks about when you should contact an agent or editor, either yours or a prospective one. Ash Krafton talks about engineering a fiction series: planning a series from the beginning while leaving each book capable of being a standalone.
Agent Nephele Tempest posts Friday Links for 4/1 and 4/8.
On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal blog, advise on how to be a gracious guest blogger.
Author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes three posts on contract dealbreakers: post 1, post 2, post 3. (Maybe you're signing contracts right now and maybe not, maybe your dealbreakers are different from hers, but it's definitely worth looking at what you might find yourself faced with if you plan on sighing a publishing contract (indie or traditional) at any point, and what the downsides are to these clauses, even if you're willing to put up with them.)
Rusch also talks about a horrible copyedit she's had--and why it's important to not just take the copyeditor's word for it all the time, and also why you should be careful when doing copyedits yourself not to edit out the writer's voice.
What other publishing news have you encountered in the past two weeks?
Publishing News
The Supreme Court has delayed the decision on the Google book-scanning case until at least April 15.
Meanwhile, federal court has decided that the Georgia State University's library-scanning project, which aimed to digitize course readings as e-reserves for academic use (protected by a login), is considered fair use in all but 7 of the 48 counts.
Barnes and Noble will be outsourcing some of its Nook functions to Bahwan CyberTek.
Amazon debuts the Kindle Oasis, a new high-end e-reader designed to be light, fast, and ergonomic.
Following the cancellation by author Sherman Alexie, North Carolina booksellers beg authors not to abandon the bookstores because of the passage of the HB2 "bathroom" bill, and reiterate their stance against the bill (a vile piece of late-night, closed-session, pork-barrelled, fear-mongering legislation that many business owners, including bookstore owners, and private citizens despise and are advocating for the overturning thereof. Why yes, my personal opinion IS showing). Book and author associations including the ABA, the AAP, the ALA, and others also ask authors not to boycott the state's independent booksellers.
Sourcebooks has acquired its book through Wattpad.
Industry Blogs
Agent Janet Reid answers questions and gives publishing advice. Is it okay to publish a short story you previously published through a magazine on your website? (It depends on your contract with the magazine.) You've already self-published books under a pseudonym; do you need to tell the agent in the query for a book under your real name? (Yes, you need to admit they exist, but you don't have to explicit.) Will an agent still want to sign you if you only plan to write one book? (If it's a good book, you can still get an agent as a one-book writer.) Also, don't limit your description of female characters to their sex appeal and/or hair color.
More from Reid: What to do if you find a mistake AFTER you send the query.
Agent Jessica Faust talks publishing industry. How do you make sure your blurb matches your plot? She also gives advice on effective query writing.
On QueryTracker, writer Jane Lebak talks about when you should contact an agent or editor, either yours or a prospective one. Ash Krafton talks about engineering a fiction series: planning a series from the beginning while leaving each book capable of being a standalone.
Agent Nephele Tempest posts Friday Links for 4/1 and 4/8.
On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal blog, advise on how to be a gracious guest blogger.
Author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes three posts on contract dealbreakers: post 1, post 2, post 3. (Maybe you're signing contracts right now and maybe not, maybe your dealbreakers are different from hers, but it's definitely worth looking at what you might find yourself faced with if you plan on sighing a publishing contract (indie or traditional) at any point, and what the downsides are to these clauses, even if you're willing to put up with them.)
Rusch also talks about a horrible copyedit she's had--and why it's important to not just take the copyeditor's word for it all the time, and also why you should be careful when doing copyedits yourself not to edit out the writer's voice.
What other publishing news have you encountered in the past two weeks?
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