In Publishing News This Week,
Porter Anderson at Publishing Perspectives has an in-depth article looking at why Melissa Fleming, the UN undersecretary of Global Communications is speaking at the International Publishing Association conference in Mexico this year. It all ties in with publishing sustainability. Melissa will be coming from the UN Summit of the Future. The article highlights the challenges that publishers face with disinformation, AI, and sector sustainability.
Dan Holloway takes issue with the big jump in subscription pricing from Canva. They justify their price hike on customers wanting AI bells and whistles. Canva still has a free tier which is pretty powerful. Just right for all your marketing graphics needs. (If you haven’t checked it out yet Go Do IT)
Publishers Weekly has a big article on making reading fun again. This is an answer to recent articles on the decline of children reading. Many children’s writers offer their opinions as to how to get the kids reading. Shorter, snappier, visual heavy books could be the way forward.
Mark Williams of The New Publishing Standard looks at how Macmillan Education is launching an AI service for teachers with the goal of helping them find the right courses for their students. But as anyone who has attempted to use AI - you have to know how to write a prompt question for it. Have they got a course on that?
TechCrunch reports that the music industry is reluctantly embracing AI. The Grammy awards will allow its creative use. This is opening up a big can of worms when there are lawsuits on deepfake voices out there. Last year they banned it, this year they’re flip flopping. The music industry often changes before the publishing industry so keep an eye out.
Alistair Sims writes in The Bookseller on dyslexic friendly books for adults. Finally, a publisher is listening. Bloomsbury is beginning to produce these format books. Can we get a snowball effect happening?
If you have been wondering how to get the words down without being distracted you need to look at some new nifty tools that are coming out through crowdsourcing sites.
I was emailed a link to a little screen device that operates as a word processor, just link it up with your favourite keyboard and write anywhere. No distractions. They have a successful Kickstarter campaign on, if you are interested.
Lately there have been some high profile authors who have tumbled off pedestals they have been put on by adoring fans. Mythcreants has an interesting article on whether you can judge the author on what they write. At what point do you separate the work from the author?
Joanna Penn has an interesting interview with Sword Guy – Guy Windsor on creating training courses and looking after your true fans. Check out the podcast/transcript.
The seven habits of highly ineffective writers or how to sabotage yourself. Joni B Cole has a guest article on Jane Friedman’s blog about how you might be sabotaging your writing career.
Writer Unboxed has an article from Terah Shelton Harris about rethinking your Writer Bucket list. Are you open to outside the box thinking?
Jami Gold has another super writing craft article on story tropes. If you have wondered about them and whether to use them this is the article for you! Lots of great learning packed in here.
In The Craft Section,
Using colour and pattern to enhance your stories-One Stop For Writers
Going beyond the first 50 pages- Sally Hamer - Bookmark
7 ways to find telling in your writing- Suzy Vadori
Story structure – 2nd act- K M Weiland - Bookmark
Story Foreshadowing – Kay Dibanca- Bookmark
In The Marketing Section
10 tips for children’s book freebies- Sandra Beckwith- Bookmark
How to title your non fiction book- Dale Roberts- Bookmark
10 things to be a successful marketer- Penny sansevieria- Bookmark
76 ways to market for free- Aspiring Author
Why content marketing can be successful- Mandy Ellis
To Finish
My bibliophile child was waxing lyrically on her idea of a perfect bookstore combination - Books and Cocktails. There was general laughter. Cafes in bookstores are a thing and book décor in bars are a thing but a genuine melding of the two – not likely. Or so we thought. Enter New York Book Bars.
Where everybody knows your name and what you like to read…
Maureen
@craicer
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Photo by Whitney Wright on Unsplash
