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Wattpad now offers a scheduling tool

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Authors can now plan and schedule when new chapters go live at Wattpad.
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New Harlequin imprint inspired by TikTok

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Aimed at the under-35 romance reader, Afterglow will build on TikTok’s #spicytok content, releasing two trade paperback titles a month.
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On the List: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

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Wrong Place Wrong Time released in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook in August 2022 and is McAllister’s first New York Times bestseller.
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Top AI Tools for Writing, Reviewed by an Author

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To be effective, storybuilding AI requires careful and high-quality input from writers.
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IMHO: Threads Is Fine, Just Fine

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Twitter’s decline and the emergence of alternatives highlights the ephemeral nature of social media for platform building.
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Book sales update: July 19, 2023

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So far, US print book sales have declined about 3 percent this year versus 2022. The decline this year is
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Bookstat launches its own bestseller lists

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Bookstat, an industry data service that tracks online book sales, has launched its own monthly bestseller lists, available via LinkedIn.
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SAG-AFTRA goes on strike alongside the WGA

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Primary concerns are like those of the WGA: the problematic economics of streaming and the use of AI.
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High-profile layoffs at Penguin Random House spark media coverage

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The CEO wrote in an announcement to employees that while the book market has grown, so have inflation and costs.
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Authors and other creative workers sue or speak out against OpenAI

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The first authors’ lawsuit against OpenAI/ChatGPT, seeking class-action status, was filed by authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad.
Image: a woman is standing in a field of wildflowers. She holds a round mirror in front of her so that, where we would otherwise see her head, we see only the reflection of wildflowers.

The Forgotten Element of Story: The Author

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Embracing the You in your story can feel frightening, but it’s the best way to craft a novel that is truly unforgettable.
Image: a woman wearing blue overalls and a white t-shirt holds a small wooden picture frame to the viewer. The frame contains only empty white space where the picture should be.

Gray Space: Making Room for the Reader

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When we let the reader fill in our intentionally left blanks, or “gray space”, we invite them inside our imaginary worlds.
Image: brightly-colored graphic illustrating the concept that text on a laptop computer can morph, like a butterfly, into a physical book.

How My Newsletter Helped Me Land an Agent and a Big Five Book Deal

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While a newsletter might not sell your book, writing one can change your work for the better and help build valuable relationships.
Image: a woman who's been trying on clothing hides her state of undress behind a fitting room's red curtain while trying to catch the attention of a salesperson for assistance.

How to Figure Out Which Writing Advice Fits You Best

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Like clothing, writing advice should be tried on to see if it fits you and your writing life. Here are five tips for assessing what works.
Image: in a large, smoky warehouse, a woman and man—she wearing an embroidered gold and red kimono, kabuki makeup and brandishing a sword, and he wearing a black samurai costume—face off for battle.

Villain Logic: The Key to Solving Your Thriller’s Climax Block

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When writing thriller, authors must understand our villain’s motivations, end goals, and progressive, logical actions toward that goal.
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Links of Interest: July 5, 2023

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The latest on AI, traditional publishing, the creator economy, legal concerns, and culture & politics.
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Fox Chapel starts children’s nonfiction imprint

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Fox Chapel is mainly known as an enthusiast publisher of craft and activity books.
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New pop-comics imprint from Penguin Random House

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Inklore will publish manga, manhua, manhwa, webcomics adaptations, and light novels in collaboration with Del Rey UK.
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New Canadian publisher: Assembly Press

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Assembly Press will be an independent publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, with its first list releasing in spring 2024.
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New promo stacking service at Written Word Media

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Written Word Media, a book marketing service primarily for authors, now offers promo stacks to help schedule and run book promotions.
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Irene Goodman agents to start new agencies

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As of July 1, senior agents at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency will be transitioning into a variety of new agencies.
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New agent at Triangle House Literary

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Emma Dries is seeking literary and upmarket fiction, narrative nonfiction, climate writing, and academic crossover works.
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On the List: The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

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Fiona Davis writes historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings. Her previous novels include two New York Times bestsellers.
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How Big Publishers Are Using Generative AI

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The key considerations for ethical use of AI in publishing are author consent and human supervision.
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The USA Today Bestseller List Has Returned

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The list most likely to feature indie authors will also include prominent links to Bookshop.