POV Bright Spots and Blind Spots
Every narrative point of view has something it does well and something it doesn’t do as well. Here’s a look at how they compare.
Links of Interest: May 14, 2025
The latest in traditional publishing, audiobooks, AI, and newsletters.
Not dead yet! HarperVia launches small-format paperback imprint
Despite the decline of mass-market paperbacks, HarperVia is launching a line of pocket-sized paperbacks under the Nomad Editions imprint.
New agent: Howland Literary
Ashlee MacCallum has joined as a junior agent at Howland Literary. Previously she was an intern at Triada US.
New publisher: Putman Publishing
Doug Putman, owner of music retailer HMV UK, is launching a publishing company. The first imprint will publish music and pop culture books.
Audible opens the door wide to AI audiobooks
Audible will offer AI production technology to select publishers, first for narration and later for translated narration.
Authors Guild files class-action lawsuit against the National Endowment for the Humanities
In early April, the NEH terminated grants already approved and in-progress in order to repurpose funds for President Trump’s agenda.
US Copyright Office says outputs of AI models could lead to market dilution
The latest report says that certain uses of AI models may affect the market for copyrighted work, going beyond fair use boundaries.
Library of Congress becomes political battleground
After President Trump fired the Librarian of Congress and head of the US Copyright Office, Congress has decided to step in and push back.
8th Note Press Doesn’t Make Good Use of the TikTok Platform
The press launched by ByteDance hasn’t yet had a national bestseller or viral hit within the BookTok community.
The Hidden Costs of AI Copyediting Tools: An Editor’s Review
AI copyediting tools are a mixed bag, performing some mechanical tasks well but with a tendency to introduce errors and flatten author voice.
It’s a Book, Not a Slide Deck: Avoiding Fast-Content Habits in Nonfiction
Bulleted lists and unbridled text formatting might work online, but overuse in a book can risk distracting readers instead of guiding them.
Immersive Interiority: How to Collapse Narrative Distance to Get Emotion on the Page
A few simple language shifts can take your reader from watching people on the page to feeling like they’re right inside the scene.
Links of Interest: May 7, 2025
The latest in AI, traditional publishing, culture & politics, bookselling, and trends.
Authors Equity partners with German new adult romance imprint
Starting this fall, Authors Equity will bring a number of bestselling LYX Books to North American readers on an expedited schedule.
New Simon & Schuster UK award for unpublished authors of color
Entrants must be a resident of Great Britain and be able to qualify themselves as coming from a minority ethnic background.
New agent at SteelWorks Literary
Julie Romeis Sanders was previously an editor at Bloomsbury Children’s.
Working class writers initiative in the UK
The Bee has been established in response to what its founders see as the “class crisis in the UK writing industries.”
Maria Popova of The Marginalian is starting Marginalian Editions
The longtime essayist and literary commentator is partnering with independent bookstore McNally Jackson to launch Marginalian Editions.
On the List: Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole
Heat of the Everflame is the third novel in Cole’s debut four-part series, with book four yet to release.
Kindle app on iOS devices now has Get Book button
It’s now easier for Kindle users and other app users to pay for subscriptions and services while using Apple devices.
About New York magazine starting a Substack
More often, businesses are starting a Substack on the side to push discoverability of their offerings outside of the Substack ecosystem.
NEA grants canceled by Trump administration; NEA senior officials resign
NEA grant recipients started receiving emails that their grants were terminated or withdrawn effective May 31, 2025.
Horror on the Rise: A Slew of New Imprints Accelerates Genre Growth
Horror is experiencing a boom like it hasn’t seen since the 1980s.