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Two new literary agencies

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In the US, three book publishing executives—Doug Hardy (formerly at Random House), Gary June (formerly at Pearson and Dorling Kindersley), and Tim Moore
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New agent alert: Barbara Jones

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Formerly an editor at Henry Holt, Jones has joined the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency.
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UK-based Sweet Cherry Publishing launches two imprints

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One imprint, Clock Tower, will publish fiction for all ages by underrepresented and diverse authors.
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Zero Street: a new LGBTQ+ imprint

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The University of Nebraska Press is launching Zero Street Fiction, an imprint that will focus on literary fiction and short story collections written by LGBTQ+ authors
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Astra establishes a new children’s imprint

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Astra announced the launch of its children’s division, Astra Books for Young Readers, which will house one new imprint—Astra Young Readers
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The new milestone for bestselling authors: establishing your own imprint

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For many years now, celebrities (Gwyneth Paltrow, Oprah Winfrey, Johnny Depp, Sarah Jessica Parker, to name a few) have been tapped to headline imprints at big publishing houses.
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Ingram partners with a startup that produces AI-generated audiobooks

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The biggest US book wholesaler and distributor, Ingram, has established a marketing partnership with the UK’s DeepZen, which provides publishers with AI-generated text-to-speech audiobooks.
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A New Service Helps Authors Advertise on Facebook

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Reader Reach Ads comes from an established book promotion firm that has a strong track record of serving indie authors
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Meet Atticus, an Emerging Software for Book Production

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This new browser-based software competes directly with Mac-only Vellum, which makes it an alluring option for PC users
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Amazon KDP Finally Offers Hardcover Format

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Just in August, we reported on the growing sales of hardcover print on demand through IngramSpark. The country’s biggest distributor advised publishers of all sizes
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Book Sales Update: September 29, 2021

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As expected, US print book sales are continuing to dwindle when compared to last year’s stellar results—although they remain ahead of 2020 for now.
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Barnes & Noble is doing well. Or, wait. Is it?

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A New York Post article reports that Barnes & Noble is “cashing in” on the book-buying craze sparked by the pandemic
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If acquired by Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster will still be able to bid separately on books

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Last week, Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle told literary agents that PRH will allow competitive bidding between PRH and Simon & Schuster imprints in the US
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Black Voices in Publishing: Is It a Trend or a Movement?

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The Authors Guild revisits industry efforts to improve inclusivity in publishing.
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Buying Books for the Holidays? Be Prepared to Be Flexible.

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From paper manufacturing to ocean cargo, books continue to be buffeted by a variety of supply chain challenges.
Can Fiction Make a Difference in the World?

Can Fiction Make a Difference in the World?

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When sociopolitical discourse seems entrenched, good fiction can dig deeper with honest curiosity about all facets of the human experience.
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What It Takes to Be a Freelance Editor

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Being a freelance editor requires lifelong curiosity, persistent self-education, ruthless support—and the ability to do all this quickly.
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3 Writing Prompts to Spark Your Creativity

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In this excerpt from her book The Joy of Writing Journal, Lisa Tener offers three prompts to help you see story ideas all around.
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How to Format Your Manuscript for a Designer or Publisher

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When your ms is complete, it's time to think about semantic structure—a digital map that allows computers to identify the parts of your book.
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UK Publishers Take the World Lead in Workforce Diversity Efforts

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In the UK, publishers are making a firm commitment to improvement—and not just in gender inclusion in the upper echelons.
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Succeeding with Self-Published Memoir: Q&A with Ashleigh Renard

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The SWING author discusses the pre-order campaign for her self-published book, the importance of social media engagement, and more.
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Closing Image: September 15, 2021

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In a post about TikTok, audience intelligence firm Pulsar says, “We’ve previously seen Wattpad emerge as one of the leading hashtags on both TikTok and Twitter,
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Links of Interest: September 15, 2021

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Legal Big publishers and Amazon move to dismiss booksellers’ class-action lawsuits. Amazon argues that the factual basis for the plaintiffs’
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Libro.fm launches a business hub

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Audiobook retailer Libro.fm now works with businesses to offer curated collections of digital audiobooks to employees
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Post Hill Press launches SALT Books

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Post Hill Press has partnered with Anthony Scaramucci on an imprint named for the SkyBridge Alternatives Conference, aka the SALT Conferences.