This Week on Books Direct -
27 January 2018
Here's a list of some great articles you may have missed this week. Enjoy!
Must Monsters Always Be Male? Huge Gender Bias Revealed In Children’s Books by Donna Ferguson for The Guardian
Male characters are twice as likely to take leading roles in children’s picture books and are given far more speaking parts than females, according to Observer research that shines a spotlight on the casual sexism apparently inherent in young children’s reading material.
History for Fantasy Writers: Barber Surgeons by E. L. Skip Knox for Mythic Scribes
Fascinating stuff! This article might come in handy for some writers.
National Book Critics Circle Announces Finalists for 2017 Awards by Critical Mass
The NBCC announced its 30 finalists in six categories – autobiography, biography, criticism, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry – for the outstanding books of 2017.
Google Takes on Audible With New Audiobook Offering by Janko Roettgers for Variety
Google is getting into the audiobook business: The company launched a new audiobook store as part of its Google Play Books service
Ursula K. Le Guin, Award-Winning Science Fiction Writer, Has Died at 88 by Carolyn Kellogg for LA Times
Acclaimed science-fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin died Monday in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, her agent confirmed. Le Guin was 88.
Episode 76 – Facebook Profiles, Pages, And Groups … Oh My podcast by Chris Syme for Smart Marketing for Authors
In this episode, Chris and Becca have an informal discussion about the three options for authors on Facebook for promoting books and engaging with readers: Facebook profiles, author business pages, and groups. Pros and cons of each in light of the new algorithm changes.
Fire And Fury Book Sales Reach 1.7 Million Copies, Publisher Says by Brian Stelter for CNN Money
The publisher of Fire and Fury has finally caught up to all the demand for the book. Henry Holt, a division of Macmillan, announced Wednesday that it has sold "1.7 million copies across all formats including hardcover, digital and audio books."
Elif Shafak And Deborah Levy To Judge The 2018 Goldsmiths Prize by Tom Gatti for NewStatesman
Nicholas Lezard and Adam Mars-Jones complete the judging panel for the £10,000 prize for “fiction at its most novel”.
We’re Gonna Get A Whole Bunch of New Dr. Seuss Cartoons by Flavorwire
A Cat in the Hat animated feature and Green Eggs and Ham Netflix series are on the way.
The 2018 PEN America Literary Awards Finalists by PEN America
PEN America is thrilled to announce the 2018 PEN America Literary Awards finalists.
If you enjoyed this blog post, please visit the other This Week posts for links to more great articles.
