This Week on Books Direct - 18 November 2018

This Week on Books Direct -

18 November 2018

Here's a list of some great articles you may have missed this week. Enjoy!

Half Of All The Books At Indie Bookshop The Moon Are By Women Writers by Star2.com

At the independent bookstore The Moon, which launched in September, at least half the books are by female writers.

New Book Marketing: The Bad Girl’s List For Book Launch Success by Melodie Campbell for Anne R. Allen

This post is about what has worked for Melodie. But it also illustrates what is done behind the scenes by her publisher.

The Hottest Trend In American Literature Isn’t From The U.S. by Liesl Schillinger for The Atlantic

In 2018, American literature no longer means literature written by Americans, for Americans, about America. On November 14, the National Book Foundation, recognizing this shift in relevance, will award a Translated Literature prize - the first category added to the National Book Awards in more than two decades.

And the results are in:

Here Are The Winners Of The 2018 National Book Awards by Claire Fallon for Huffington Post

Congratulations to all the winners.

Tom Hanks Takes His Latest Role, Author And Portland Book Festival Star, Very Seriously by Amy Wang for Oregon Live

Tom Hanks spoke about his short story collection, Uncommon Type, at the Portland Book Festival.

Stan Lee, Marvel Comics' Real-Life Superhero, Dies At 95 by Mike Barnes for The Hollywood Reporter

The feisty writer, editor and publisher was responsible for such iconic characters as Spider-Man, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther and the Fantastic Four — 'nuff said.

And sadly, another literary death:

William Goldman, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Of Butch Cassidy And All The President’s Men, Dies At 87 by Adam Bernstein for The Washington Post

He died 16 November, aged 87, at his home in Manhattan of complications from colon cancer and pneumonia.

“Hugely Disappointing” Government Response To Libraries Petition by Alison Flood for The Guardian

Supporters including J. K.  Rowling and Neil Gaiman add their names to a campaign calling for library funding to be ringfenced.

Books, Spouses, Family And Friends: A Writers Dilemma by Michael J. Melville for Journeys and Life

Don’t make the mistake of using your friends and family as the sole launching point of your writing career. It’s fine to have their support but you need more.

Hemingway's Old Man And The Sea Fishing Trip Letter Sold For $28,000 by Alison Flood for The Guardian

Author’s account sent to Miami newspaper in 1935 describes capture of giant marlin believed to have partly inspired his Pulitzer prize-winning novel.

Want To Propose A Nonfiction Book? Here’s How by Daniel Potter for Grammarly Blog

For readers wondering roughly how nonfiction books come to be, here’s what Daniel learned by taking a nonfiction book class at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

How To Handle Haters And Negativity by Ruth Soukup for Elite Blog Academy

Blogging comes with a certain level of vulnerability. We’ve all experienced negative comments on our blogs or Facebook walls, but the negativity doesn’t have to leave you in tears. So how do you protect yourself and handle negativity?

“Toxic” Is Oxford Dictionaries’ Word Of 2018 by Barbara Campbell for npr

We've used a lot of words in 2018, so it's no surprise that there is more than one “word of the year”. Oxford Dictionaries’ judgment is that "toxic" illuminates something about this year.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please visit the other This Week posts for links to more great articles.

This Week on Books Direct - 30 September 2018

This Week on Books Direct -

30 September 2018

Here's a list of some great articles you may have missed this week. Enjoy!

Author Ibi Zoboi Calls Out Racism And Classism In The Wall Street Journal Book Review by Princess Weekes for The Mary Sue

Author Ibi Zoboi, the author of American Street, called out a racist book review from The Wall Street Journal that was written by Meghan Cox Gurdon.

Kirkus Announces The Finalists For The 2018 Kirkus Prize for Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews, the nation’s leading prepublication journal of book reviews, today announced the six finalists for the fifth annual Kirkus Prize in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers’ Literature.

Yowza! 300 New Words Added To Scrabble Dictionary by The Guardian

Scrabble players will have to rethink their game after new words, including OK and ew, added to approved list.

How To Start A Freelance Editing Business: 10 Actionable Tips by Reedsy Blog

It’s an exciting time for freelance editors: the needs of professional writers are constantly increasing, and quality freelancing services are in high demand. Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been freelancing for years, you’re probably thinking about how to maximize your clientele and profits - and that means learning how to start an editing business.

The Guardian’s Guide To Independent Bookstores by The Guardian

Independent bookshops are the cornerstone of many of our communities, so in conjunction with the Bookseller’s Association, The Guardian has compiled a list of some of the best.

Before, During, And After Publishing: A Marketing Checklist by Staci Toilo for Story Empire Blog

If you’re like most writers, the actual writing process is fun(ish) for you. The launch, on the other hand, is probably a soul-sucking, frenetic nightmare. There’s nothing worse than feeling like the people in the graphic, standing on your soapbox announcing to everyone in earshot that you have a new book for sale.

How Beautiful Should Your Sentences Be? by James Scott Bell for kill Zone

Everyone seems to be looking for “up-market fiction” in the traditional publishing world. But what the heck is it?

Leveraging The Emotional Spectrum In Your Writing by Bonnie Randall for Janice Hardy’s Fiction University

Hopefully this analysis helps you leverage your character’s emotion to a place that delivers the maximum impact within your story.

How To Master Show, Don’t Tell by K.M. Allan

Ah, show, don’t tell. One of the most spouted pieces of writing advice, and one of the most confusing.

Five Edits to Strengthen Your Writing, Right Now by Janice Hardy for Janice Hardy’s Fiction University

If you're just looking for the next step to improve your craft, these are good words to search for to find possible places to revise.

Why I Don’t Organize My Bookshelves by Simone Jung for Book Riot

How do you like to organize your bookshelves?

4 Proven “Hacks” For Winning NaNoWriMo by Jessica Brody for NaNoWriMo Blog

Jessica Brody, author of Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, shares how to set yourself up for success by creating a morning writing routine.

Europe’s Oldest Intact Book Was Preserved And Found In The Coffin Of A Saint by Josh Jones for Open Culture

If you’re a British history buff, next month is an ideal time to be in London for the British Library’s “once-in-a-generation exhibition”, including the St. Cuthbert Gospel, the oldest surviving intact European book.

Carnegie Medal Promises Immediate Action Over Lack Of Diversity by Alison Flood for The Guardian

The UK’s oldest prize for children’s books is to be restructured after a report into failings that left 2017’s award shortlist entirely white.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please visit the other This Week posts for links to more great articles.

This Week on Books Direct - 16 September 2018

This Week on Books Direct -

16 September 2018

Here's a list of some great articles you may have missed this week. Enjoy!

To Restore Civil Society, Start With the Library by Eric Klinenberg for The New York Times

This crucial institution is being neglected just when we need it the most.

The Chef's Murder Was A Mystery. Then Portland Police Arrested His Romance Novelist Wife by Shane Dixon Kavanaugh for Oregon Live

Years before Nancy Crampton Brophy was accused of gunning down her chef husband in a Portland kitchen, the novelist penned a handy treatise on offing one's spouse.

Marketing Strategies And Cover Love by Jacquie Biggar for Sisterhood of Suspense

There’s a lot more to creating a successful marketing plan than writing the book. And your book cover is a big part of it.

Visit Wuthering Heights: Classic Novels Transformed Into Vintage Travel Posters by Tamara Hardingham-Gill for CNN Travel

The posters, which took several months to design, have been devised as part of the The Great American Read, an eight-part TV series and multiplatform reading initiative that looks at America's 100 best-loved novels.

2018 National Book Awards Longlists by National Book Foundation

The 2018 National Book Awards Longlists have been announced. Winners will be announced in November.

Non-Designer Graphic Design Tools & Resources for Marketing by Lillian De Jesus for Stencil Blog

There are hundreds of graphic design tools that run from free to pricey and sloppy to distinguished. Which ones are the best for non-designers?

Using Young Adult Novels to Make Sense of #MeToo by Julia Jacobs for The New York Times

Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of Speak, was one of the first young adult fiction writers to deal with issues of rape and sexual assault.

How To Give Your Readers Unforgettable Moments by James Scott Bell

The legendary movie director John Huston once remarked that a great movie is comprised of “three great scenes, and no weak ones.” Not bad advice that. We don’t want any weak scenes in our fiction. But we also want those moments that reach deep into the reader’s heart. How can we apply this to our writing?

And … Action! Applying TV Lessons to Chapter Hooks by Jami Gold for Writers Helping Writers

What can we learn for our writing by looking at how TV shows build hooks into the end of every act?

Pantsing Toward An Outline: A Hybrid Approach by P. H. Solomon for Story Empire Blog

Have you ever pantsed and outlined your novel at the same time?

When To Leave Out The “That” by Kathy Servian for Romance University

If you want to tighten your writing, try leaving out “that”.

10 Building Blocks Of A Psychopath by Sue Coletta, Crime Writer

Let’s look at 10 building blocks of a psychopath and discuss the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath.

Top 10 Book Ideas by Joe Bunting for The Write Practice

You want to write, but when you sit down to get started, you realize you don’t have a book idea. Here are ten questions to help you get started finding your book idea. Use them as writing prompts or to make your current idea better.

Are You Making This Character Flaw Mistake? by Janice Hardy for Fiction University

“Give your characters flaws” is one of the more common pieces of writing advice out there. It’s good advice, as flaws make characters more human and relatable, and the fatal flaw is a critical part of any character arc, but many writers make an easy mistake when creating them. They think flaws have to be negative traits.

Bob Woodward's Fear Sells More Than 750,000 In First Day by Alison Flood for The Guardian

Fear, the veteran Washington reporter’s unflattering portrait of Trump White House gets ninth printing to meet extraordinary demand from the US and beyond.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please visit the other This Week posts for links to more great articles.

Quote of the Week

Quote of the Week

This Week on Books Direct - 30 June 2018

This Week on Books Direct -

30 June 2018

Here's a list of some great articles you may have missed this week. Enjoy!

Donald Hall, US Poet Laureate And Prize-Winning Man Of Letters, Dies At 89 by Associated Press for The Guardian

Donald Hall, a prolific and award-winning poet and man of letters who was widely admired for his sharp humor and painful candor about nature, mortality, baseball and the distant past, has died. He was 89.

Building A Modern Author Brand: My Mis-Adventures In Perfecting A Platform by Derek Taylor Kent for I Smell Sheep

Derek Taylor Kent wasn’t sure where to get started when launching his author brand, and he made countless mistakes that he’s learned from and that have helped him reach the point where he’s just beginning to get the hang of it.

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Name Removed From Book Award Over Racism Concerns by Associated Press in Chicago for The Guardian

American Library Association changes award name after examining ‘expressions of stereotypical attitudes’ in books.

2018 Locus Awards Winners by Locus Mag

The Locus Science Fiction Foundation announced the winners of the 2018 Locus Awards during the Locus Awards Weekend in Seattle WA, June 22-24, 2018.

Once A Teacher, Always A Teacher, Or Why I Write The Books I Write by Hans M. Hirschi

Reader or writer, what do you gain from reading/writing?

Publishers Are Paying Writers A Pittance, Say Bestselling Authors by Danuta Kean for The Guardian

Philip Pullman, Antony Beevor, and Sally Gardner call for a fairer share of profits, as survey shows full-time writers earn below minimum wage.

A Story About Harry Kane And Russian History Is Inspiring Schoolkids To Read by Richard Foster for The Guardian

Children’s author Tom Palmer has teamed up with the National Literacy Trust to write a story that captures reluctant readers.

13 Extraordinary Marketing Ideas for Entrepreneurs by Lillian De Jesus for Stencil

Marketing a business can be tough when you feel like you’ve exhausted so many ideas. If you feel like you’re struggling or bored with the same marketing strategies, it’s time to take on a new and fresh approach. Let’s take a look at a variety of marketing ideas that’ll pump you up and get energized to market your business as an entrepreneur.

Royal Society Of Literature Admits 40 New Fellows To Address Historical Biases by Alison Flood for The Guardian

The 40 Under 40 initiative has chosen a diverse set of fresh fellows to reflect the ‘bold expressiveness’ of a new generation in an institution that has been ‘overwhelmingly’ white and male.

Leisure Reading In The U.S. Is At An All-Time Low by Christopher Ingraham for The Washington Post

The share of Americans who read for pleasure on a given day has fallen by more than 30 percent since 2004, according to the latest American Time Use Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Harlan Ellison, Provocative Sci-Fi Writer Of Star Trek, A Boy and His Dog, Dies At 84 by Carmel Dagan for Variety

Speculative-fiction writer Harlan Ellison, who penned short stories, novellas and criticism, contributed to TV series including The Outer Limits, Star Trek and, Babylon 5 and won a notable copyright infringement suit against ABC and Paramount and a settlement in a similar suit over The Terminator, has died. He was 84.

Grammarly Spotlight: Why Concise Writing Gets More Readers by Grammarly Blog

Curious about the difference between a clear, concise sentence and a wordy one? Check out three of the top offenders when it comes to wordy writing.

12 Tips For Hosting A Successful Book Club Meeting When No One Read The Book by Melissa Ragsdale for Bustle

Rather than getting hung up on the tiny detail that none of you read the book, here are some things to do in your book club meeting that will keep the discussion going strong and the literary vibes flowing.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please visit the other This Week posts for links to more great articles.