For years, critics have bemoaned the decline of reading among both children and adults, but new data actually presents hard numbers on how this behavior has actually declined. According to analysis conducted by Jean M. Twenge, PhD, of the recent Monitoring the Future report, kids these days have all but stopped reading. "Wait, we've heard this before," you might think, and … [Read more...] about Kids These Days… Have They Stopped Reading?
Keanu Reeves Launches Book Imprint but It’s Not Erotic Lit
Is anyone else still recovering from the tidal wave of actors-turned-singers that ruined a little bit of the '80s for us? Big names like Don Johnson, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, and Patrick Swayze made us all cringe a little by releasing albums, which is somehow not the same thing as a singer like Harry Connick, Jr. or Madonna turning to acting. In reality, entertainers have … [Read more...] about Keanu Reeves Launches Book Imprint but It’s Not Erotic Lit
Crown Publishing Recalls Cookbook Due to Poisonous Recipes
Never trust a skinny cook, as the old saying goes, and at the risk of body shaming anyone, Instagram "influencer" Johnna Holmgren is--to be honest--not the best source of information on how to live a healthy, robust life. Along with her chalk artist husband, the blogger's fondness for eating poisonous berries and wild mushrooms that induce vomiting and diarrhea, and it's not … [Read more...] about Crown Publishing Recalls Cookbook Due to Poisonous Recipes
#CockyGate Finally Dies the Death It Deserved from Day One
Don't you love when romance has a happy ending? Or at least a sigh-of-relief ending while still shoving the villain out the proverbial window? Romance stakeholders from readers to publishers have been on the edge of their seats over one hapless author's attempt to make a name for herself by trademarking a common romance term. After months of coverage, courtroom drama (in which … [Read more...] about #CockyGate Finally Dies the Death It Deserved from Day One
Author Suzanne Brockmann Sets #RWA18 on Fire with Award Speech
Most people probably wouldn't look to the annual conference of a romance writers' group to find controversy and political outrage, but then again, too many people write off romance authors as not being the business savvy, world-changing voices they are capable of being. This was never more evident than at the annual Romance Writers of America conference, wrapping up today in … [Read more...] about Author Suzanne Brockmann Sets #RWA18 on Fire with Award Speech
Authors Who Game the System Are Eating their Own
There's no doubt the publishing landscape and the world of self-publishing have changed vastly in just a handful of years. From the earliest days of the Kindle, readers could instantly download and devour book from their favorite authors. At the onset, Amazon had worked out lucrative deals with the then-Big Six publishers to offer any title that hit the New York Times … [Read more...] about Authors Who Game the System Are Eating their Own
Wattpad, Tongal Take Reading to the Big(ger) Screen
Author-upload site Wattpad has been an integral part of the indie author revolution, creating opportunities for authors to put their work in front of readers, publishers, and industry stakeholders. Equal parts reader-centric entertainment platform and author exposure mechanism, they've paved the way for book consumers to find their next favorite writer. But the welcome … [Read more...] about Wattpad, Tongal Take Reading to the Big(ger) Screen
KDP Print launches expanded distribution to bookstores
Amazon has been slowly edging out its own competition by morphing authors over to the newer KDP Print platform instead of the original CreateSpace platform for print-on-demand books. Initially, the KDP Print upload process was just another avenue for self-published titles that were already making their way to ebook via KDP. The only benefit at the onset was the you had one … [Read more...] about KDP Print launches expanded distribution to bookstores
When Piracy and Fan Fiction Collide in the Best Way Possible
Several years ago, Mortal Instruments author Cassandra Clare came under intense scrutiny and criticism for alleged copyright infringement. It wasn't that the one-time Harry Potter fanfic author had engaged in...well... fan fiction, but rather that she had reportedly plagiarized others' works. To top it off, she apparently was no fan herself of authors who wrote fan fiction … [Read more...] about When Piracy and Fan Fiction Collide in the Best Way Possible
Are Authors Really That Poor?
"So, you're an author. Have you written anything I've heard of?" "You're an author, so you just wear pajamas all day, right?" "You're an author, so you're rich, right?" That last question has been the bane of many authors' existence, the misperception that somehow listing a book for sale equates to a carefree lifestyle filled with champagne baths and sleeping 'til noon. … [Read more...] about Are Authors Really That Poor?
It’s Not a Good Time to Be a Red Hen
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn't evoke a lot of sympathy from many people, largely because of her impossible role in the administration. It is her job to almost daily stand before members of the media and justify every comment, action, and unfortunate tweet that Donald Trump issues. Unfortunately, a lot of people feel that Sanders not only doesn't do … [Read more...] about It’s Not a Good Time to Be a Red Hen
Are Amazon’s Review Policies Helpful or Reactionary?
Like it or not, Amazon is the world's largest bookstore. As such, there are a couple of pitfalls for both readers and authors. First, as the largest source of potential buyers, authors have to play nice and follow the rules. When authors cook up something ridiculous to game the system, Amazon makes sweeping changes to those rules. Even worse, as the world's largest bookstore, … [Read more...] about Are Amazon’s Review Policies Helpful or Reactionary?
What’s All This Stuff about Book Stuffing?
There's been no shortage of controversy in publishing lately, much of it happening when authors have engaged in unsavory behavior that alienates them from both readers and fellow authors. The #cockygate scandal, as of yet unresolved, is a prime example of an author taking career-ending steps that were completely unnecessary from a book visibility and income potential … [Read more...] about What’s All This Stuff about Book Stuffing?