This Week on Books Direct - 16 June 2013

This Week on Books Direct - 16 June 2013

Here's a list of the articles you may have missed this week:

"11 Most Kickass Literary Heroines" - Article by Taylor Stevens for The Huffington Post.

Taylor has compiled of list of 11 great literary heroines. Who would you add to this list?

"4 Things to Consider When Researching Literary Agents" - Article by Brian Klems for Writer's Digest.

When looking for a literary agent, Brian asked himself certain questions in order to narrow his search to find an agent he thought would be the best fit for him. You should ask these questions in your search too.

"10 Things Your Opening Chapter Should Do: A Check-List for Self-Editing" - Article by Anne R. Allen.

First chapters are hard. When you're writing your first draft, you're writing for yourself. But when you're revising, it's a different story. You'll need to cut a whole lot of info you've put into the opening chapters. But an ideal first chapter should still do these 10 things.

"The Best Academic Preparation for an Editorial Career" - Article by Mark Nichol for Daily Writing Tips.

Is a degree in English or literature the ideal preparation for work as a writer or editor? Mark shares his views here. What are yours?

"Posting Images: Harnessing The Art Of Social Media Pictures" - Article by Web Design Relief.

If you're setting out to establish an author brand, then images may be your best friend - both on your website and on your social media platform. Whether your images go viral or simply resonate with your fans, your pics are social media party favors that help ensure people are having a good time on your page. So take advantage of key promotional opportunities by learning the art of posting images on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Goodreads, Pinterest - and your own author website.

"5 Book-Pitch Selling Points: The Complete Package" - Article by Writer's Relief.

Does your query letter show off your book project using every possible advantage? Use this list to see if your query letter is hitting all the right notes or if you've got room to improve.

"The Definition of Winning" - Article by K. S. Brooks for Indies Unlimited.

Indies Unlimited runs a flash fiction challenge every week. Do you enter? If not, why not? You've got nothing to lose and everything to win.

"What Kids are Reading, 2013" - Article by Renaissance Learning.

Have you ever wondered why students choose the books that they do? Renaissance Learning explored this question in the fifth-edition What Kids Are Reading report, which lists the top 40 books read by students in grades 1-12 in the 2011-2012 school year. Rankings are based on the Accelerated Reader database, the largest of its kind, which houses reading records for students who read 283 million books.

"How Self-Published Books Are Made: Start to Finish (Part I)" - Article by Catherine Ryan Howard for Catherine, Caffeinated.

Catherine outlines a basic master plan for self-publishing. There are very few "this is everything that needs to happen and in this order" posts around. So Catherine starts now with Part I.

"How To Fight Book Pirates" - Article by Jason Boog for AppNewser.

Digital book piracy is a major problem facing some 21st Century authors. For all the authors, publishers and readers who want to defend digital books against piracy, Jason has put together a simple five-step plan to discover and prevent eBook piracy.

"How do YOU Feel About Self-Published Books?" - Article by Renee for Mother Daughter Book Reviews.

Find out the results of last week's poll about the length of book reviews and take part in this week's poll on reading self-published books.

"40 Synonyms for 'Different'" - Article by Mark Nichol for Daily Writing tips.

Ever struggle to find a different word for 'different'? Look no further. Mark has compiled a list of 40 alternatives!

"Paleo and Primal eBook Bundle of the Week"  - Brought to you by Bundle of the Week.

Every week Bundle of the Week presents 5 related eBooks for only $7.40. This week's bundle is the perfect companion for a paleo or primal lifestyle. Whether you're just dipping your toes in or looking for more recipes to add to your rotation, this collection of eBooks is both inspiring and practical, with more than 200 recipes plus inspirational stories from people who have transformed their health through a paleo diet and tips for eating out without cheating. Paleo ebooks can be expensive, but this week only you’ll get all 5 at a savings of more than 85% off, less than the cost of any one of the eBooks by itself!

"Write It Now, Part 12: Disentangling That Idea Splurge" - Article by Matthew Wright.

This last post on structure takes us to the deepest level – the way paragraphs and sentences are arranged. One of the biggest problems most writers have to face is translating the way they think and imagine things into a single linear thread.