Pine State Publicity launches agenting arm
Pine State Literary is led by Zoe-Aline Howard and focuses on literary fiction and narrative nonfiction that speaks to rural and middle America.
“We are an AI inputs company”: a media executive really did say that
News Corp, parent company of HarperCollins and the Wall Street Journal, is negotiating deals with tech companies, seeking licensing income.
Prominent children’s author says “94.7 percent of kids’ books are crud”
The children’s writing and publishing community did not take kindly to this opinion and demanded an apology from author Mac Barnett.
Federal court orders reinstatement of National Endowment for Humanities grants
Given that the administration has ignored other judicial orders, it’s unclear whether the government will pay out the money owed under the grants.
Imposter Syndrome Is Not a Disease or Abnormality
Even successful writers fall prey to self-doubt. Here are a few ways to strengthen yourself if and when you hear that voice in your head.
How Fear Affects Your Character in Real Time
Fear can limit our ability to apply reason and logic, leading to flawed choices and behavior—bad in real life, but story gold in fiction.
Nailing Omniscient POV: 5 Guidelines to Captivate (Not Confuse) Readers
Omniscient POV might be resurging, thanks to some recent bestsellers. To use it well, remember three C’s: clarity, consistency, and control.
Links of Interest: May 6, 2026
The latest in traditional publishing, marketing & promotion, culture & politics, and AI.
New children’s imprint at TokyoPop
Starting this fall, TokyoPop Kids will publish manga, graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade novels.
Chronicle accepting unagented children’s work through May 10
In honor of Children’s Book Week, Chronicle is accepting unagented manuscripts through May 10.
New nonfiction imprint from Bloomsbury India and Say Again Press
The imprint will publish titles across sports, health, autobiography, and business.
Eerdmans launches new nonfiction imprint
The imprint will tackle existential questions for readers wherever they are on the spirituality spectrum.
New nonfiction imprint: New Modern Arcade (UK)
The imprint is the second to be announced by Putman Publishing, run by Pete Selby and Doug Putman, owner of music retailer HMV UK.
New horror micro-press: Grave Empire
A bookseller in Houston has launched Grave Empire, a one-man publishing operation dedicated to horror fiction.
New horror imprint at Penguin Random House UK
3AM Books will be PRH’s first dedicated horror imprint. The first title, FAWN by debut author and journalist CN Vair, will release this August.
How Self-Published Authors Thrive on TikTok
We spoke with three authors in the fantasy genre about what TikTok success looks like and how they achieved it.
Authors Guild expands and streamlines contract guidance on AI
The Guild has consolidated all AI-related contract clauses—existing ones and new provisions—on a dedicated page on its website.
New AI lawsuit against Meta, filed by multiple publishers plus Scott Turow
This latest AI lawsuit seeks class action status against Meta for pirating millions of books to train Meta’s LLM, Llama.
How Often Can You Ask Your Reader to Jump?
Transitioning away too often—to a flashback or a new scene—risks losing the depth of storytelling that readers get from living inside a scene.
Stop Counting Toothbrushes: Find Your Memoir’s Real Story
One memoir coach sees writers rush ahead into chapters and character detail before understanding: Why am I writing this exact story right now?
Notice What You Notice About the World Around Us
"Noticing what you notice" helps you identify your authentic material and produce work no one can ever copy.
On the List: This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page
The novelist studied bestsellers to learn what could help her reach a wider audience, and identified two crucial elements to incorporate.
Audible’s ACX discontinuing legacy royalty model
The service is shifting to a pooling model where audiobook royalties are affected by how much an Audible member consumes in a month.
Links of Interest: April 29, 2026
The latest in traditional publishing, the New York Times, culture & politics, and AI.
New publisher: Lost Kite Editions
The Minneapolis-based nonprofit publishes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction from underrepresented writers.