This Week on Books Direct -
12 May 2018
Here's a list of some great articles you may have
missed this week. Enjoy!
11 Authors Recommend US Bookstores Worth Traveling For by Lonely Planet
11
best-selling writers to tell us which shops are worth a detour for book-loving
travelers.
A University Library Moved Its Books Offsite, Infuriating Visitors by Thu-Huong Ha for Quartzy
A
library at the University of Texas-Austin is facing an existential quandary
that’s likely to feel familiar to bookstores and libraries all over the US. In
the age of speedy search and deliver, how useful is the presence of physical
books?
Barnes & Noble Teeters In A Post-Text World by John Biggs for Tech Crunch
Barnes
& Noble, that once proud anchor to many a suburban mall, is waning.
Up Close And Personal: How Do I Get Through Reading Slumps? by Literature and Movies
If
Harry Potter has he-who-shall-not-be-named, in book community, we have what we
call: reading slump.
Parents Are Divided Over A Book In A Popular Student Reading Program In Oregon by Sarah Lorge Butler for The New York Times
The
book George, a debut novel by Alex Gino for readers between the
ages of 8 and 12, has set off a storm within a popular student reading
competition in Oregon.
Google Photos Will Add More AI-Powered Fixes, Including Colorization Of Black-And-White Photos by Sarah
Perez for Tech Crunch
Google
Photos is making it even easier to fix photos with a new version of the app
that will suggest quick fixes and other tweaks – like rotations, brightness
corrections, or adding pops of color, for example – right below the photo
you’re viewing.
Judge Clears Path For To Kill A Mockingbird Trial In June by Eriq Gardner for
The Hollywood Reporter
The
Harper Lee Estate and Scott Rudin are set to do battle in New York over Aaron
Sorkin's version after an Alabama judge transfers the venue of the case.
Writing By Accident, Editing By Design by
Michael Gallant for BookBaby Blog
Writing
enough prose to fill a book is one thing, but weaving it all together into a
story with a strong arc, purpose, and impact is another. Here are some lessons
that might help you in your writing process - whether your own book is an
“accident” or not.
Most Common Writing Mistakes, Pt. 64: POV Problems by K. M. Weiland
POV.
Writers can’t live without it. It influences every aspect of story, right down
to word choice. But in all frankness, sometimes POV can be a little hard for us
to live with as well. The vastness and the complexity of the topic makes it all
too easy for authors to accidentally stumble into POV problems.
Book Promotion: Do This, Not That by
Amy Collins for The Book Designer
Spend
the time becoming an expert on your category and you will be in a better
position than most to become a truly successful author. Stay vigilant and
informed and you will be able to converse with, sell to, and negotiate with
those in the publishing industry who hold the key to your success.
Episode 88 – Book Description Mistakes You’re Making And How To Fix Them by Chris Syme for Smart Marketing
In
this episode Chris interviews copywriting expert and author Bryan Cohen on how
to fix the most common mistakes authors make when writing a book description
and how to fix them.
Content
is key for marketing, traffic, and search engine optimization. Content can
convert wanna be buyers into lifelong customers if your efforts are thorough.
With content being of the utmost importance, you don’t want to waste your
efforts creating something that won’t actually achieve what you’ve set out to
achieve.
And
probably the biggest story of the week prompted numerous articles:
SelfPubbed Romance Author Ignites Rage With Cocky Trademark by Mercy Pilkington for GoodEReader
In
the world of self-publishing, authors have to do whatever it takes to get their
books in front of readers. For some authors, that means splitting their time
between writing and promotion. For others, it means investing in social media managers
and publicity packages. For other authors, though, the best way to become a
household name is to pull a stunt so vile that it causes a firestorm of rage on
author and reader sites.
Don’t Do This, Ever: Faleena Hopkins Cocks The Whole Entire Fuck Up by Jenny Trout for Trout Nation
For
the last couple of years, the word “cocky” has been popping up on romance novel
covers. A lot of them. Author Faleena Hopkins certainly likes to use the word
in her book titles.
The Cocky Debacle by London Saint James for London’s Scribbles
Sometimes,
something so completely preposterous happens and we need to confront the issue
and bring it to the attention of others. Yes. Sometimes we need to take a stand
and speak out; especially when people’s livelihoods are being threatened and
they are being bullied.
Romantic Novelist's Trademarking Of Word “Cocky” Sparks Outcry by Alison Flood for The
Guardian
Faleena
Hopkins, whose works include Cocky Romantic and Cocky Cowboy, is said to have
written to other writers asserting her right to the adjective in titles.
If you enjoyed this blog post, please visit the other This Week posts for links to more great
articles.
