This Week In Publishing News
In a sector desperate for some good news, there was a ray of sunshine. The Authors Guild successfully showed a federal judge in America that the canceling of grants for libraries was a direct violation of the constitution. As a result, the judge has issued a permanent injunction against National Endowment of Humanities and Department of Government Efficiency reports Publishers Weekly.
Hachette is partnering with Studiocanal to launch a Book to Screen venture. Mark Williams takes a look at the advantages. This is where publishing companies realise all the IP they have and think we can make films of our books and become huge multimedia companies.
An author with experience in the film and TV world has decided that what that sector needs is a platform to tell them what books to adapt into film or TV. It’s a monthly subscription. But how is she going to choose what to include? Publishers Weekly asked her some pointed questions.
I always keep one eye on academic publishing, so I was interested and dismayed at the new report launched at the 9th World Congress on Research Integrity. The report documented instances of research manipulation from institutions and governments showing a real attack on scientific integrity that is measurable. Lack of trust erodes confidence which has a flow on effect, leading to situations like increasing measles cases. Promote Scientific Truth, people.
Children’s Non fiction is the preferred target of Book Banners says a new PEN America report. Publishing Perspectives takes a look at the political and cultural attack underway in United States Schools.
Mac Barnett, children’s literature ambassador in the US caused a literary riot with his essay on the amount of bad writing in children’s literature, reported Publishers Weekly.
Nobody is denying what he said. It’s the made up statistics he used to illustrate it and their implication to the wider world. It could have been reverse psychology… at least we are talking about children’s books.
Recently Vicky Weber wrote an interesting essay – Middle Grade Is Dead And I Think That’s Good News. Provocative title. It is a great essay which explains a lot about how we writers in the middle grade trenches are feeling. Vicky writes there is hope!
The fabulous Claire Taylor is an expert in the Enneagram, a personality test which helps understand your way of working. She has done a lot of work on how it applies to writers. Recently she did an excellent series of webinars on how writers can identify and use their Enneagram strengths in their writing. When she got to my number I thought she was right inside my head. (Highly recommend checking this out)
Randy Susan Myers asks What Kind Of Writer Are You? This is the horrible question that tongue ties you at parties. Uhhh. Do you have an answer? Great essay.
Diana Stout has been looking at the science of habits and she has some advice for creating a writing habit.
Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s new Fear Thesaurus is available everywhere now. Check out their links for extra goodies.
Alexa Bigwharfe has a great article on Marketing in 2026. AI Is Now A Discovery Engine. Marketing is changing because of AI search. She offers advice that will help you get found by the new search engines.
Gabriela Pereira has an interesting article on DIYMFA on the FLOW framework. This framework is helpful to get the most out of your creative life. If you need to reset or sharpen skills, this is the article for you.
In The Craft Section,
Heroines Journey - Susan Watts– Bookmark
Verb your enthusiasm- Podcast Sarah Kaufman and Joanna Penn- Bookmark
Micro tension in writing – CS Lakin- Excellent
Nailing omniscient POV- Heather Garbo- Bookmark
Subtext- September Fawkes- Excellent.
In The Marketing Section,
Book launch timelines- Sandra Beckwith
Do you want extra fries?- Mark Lefebvre- Bookmark!
Query Letters- Jane Friedman- Bookmark
Please disappoint your fans- Becca Syme- Bookmark
25 ways to find middle grade readers- J J Johnson
To Finish
Writing is a very personal activity. *Paul Gallico wrote in 1946 “It is only when you open your veins and bleed onto the page a little that you establish contact with your reader.”
Rachel Toalson wrote a great essay -How Much Of Myself Should I put In A Book on Writer Unboxed this week. Sometimes that bleeding is too much. Rachel has some ideas on how to control how much of yourself you are giving to the world.
(*Paul Gallico wrote The Snow Goose which regularly held me enthralled on Radio Storytime when I was a child. Here is Sir Laurence Olivier performing the story. Get Tissues.)
Maureen
@craicer
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