In Publishing News this week,
Publishing Perspectives sat down with the director of the Frankfurt Book fair to talk about his twenty years at the helm, the future of the fair, and the challenges of this year’s fair.
Mark Williams of The New Publishing Standard looks at the recent move by Getty Images to partner with an AI company but with very strict licensing agreements, after their failed court cases. He points out that publishers could do the same thing.
Recently, Publishers Weekly reported on American Library Associations 150th anniversary. The Graphic Novel and Comics Roundtable have just celebrated 8 years. School librarians know the power of graphic novels to hold attention and introduce new ideas without the kids knowing they are reading. Now the Roundtable and Librarians are reaching out to publishers to make these books more durable.
Rachel Toalson wrote a great essay, In Defense On Writing For Children as a response to the recent controversial comments by the American Ambassador for Children’s Literature. If his aim was to get people talking, he certainly succeeded. Every children’s author will recognize the themes she explores on why we write for children. If you have always thought it would be easy, I invite you to read the article.
The Alliance of Independent Authors has a run down of all the types of scams that are targeting authors at the moment. Keep an eye on the scammers, who are getting more personalised in their targeting every day. Let newbies know that such scams prey on their hopes and dreams and to be extra wary.
Joanna Penn has a great interview with Daniel Sawyer on the author voice. I am so grateful that Joanna produces these transcripts. Even though I often listen to the interview, reading the transcript lets you stop to think deeply on an idea and this episode is one of those thought provoking studies of craft.
Alexandra Burt has a great essay on Why Artists Owe The Work And Not The World. You must understand rules before you break them. Often writers second guess themselves. Do you need permission to write the way the story wants to be told?
Publishers Weekly reported on the recent Jamaican Book Festival where the Caribbean Collective was announced. This is an organization to represent the eight English speaking islands as a global regional voice, and to promote and support them at international book fairs. What a great idea!
Mark Williams with his global view of publishing in small developing countries explored how this kind of representation could be a model for others.
I firmly believe in the power of the collective, whether it is in small author groups for publishing support, all the way up to countries with a shared regional perspective like the Pacific Islands. Global publishing has been dominated by a western US/UK viewpoint. Regional voices are lost in translation even when it is in English. Collectives of countries to promote a different literary voice to the world is a powerful statement of literary maturity. Our own voices matter. Our individual author voices are distinct from the blandness of AI sameness. Our regional voices reflect our customs and concerns that mark us out as a distinct region rather than a satellite of a powerful colonizing nation. New Zealand has been quietly supporting a pacific publishing voice for years. We should be shouting our support. If we don’t we are at risk of losing our distinct viewpoint and voice to a tech company algorithm.
Donald Mass has another deep craft essay on the misleading adage of Show, Don’t Tell.
He talks about the two important cues to bring a story alive, the visual and the emotional. He refers to his craft book, which I have, and it is excellent.
In The Craft Section,
Why emotional scenes still feel flat-Susan Watts- Bookmark
The beating heart of your Story Structure- Lynette Burrows- Bookmark
Writing memorable character voices- Catherine Forrest- Bookmark
Will your story keep your readers hooked- Colleen Story- Bookmark
Why we need heroic stories- K M Weiland- Bookmark
In The Marketing Section,
Flat lays – low effort marketing- Ines Joghnson – Bookmark!
Book launch mistakes on social media- Sandra Beckwith
Back to school children’s book marketing- Bookmark
2 very good articles on email newsletters. If you are wondering what to do, or who to choose, read both of these articles. It’s all in what type of communication voice you want to have to your readers. Medium, Substack or Beehiiv- Rachel Thompson and Should you use Substack or something else – Jane Friedman
To Finish,
Where do you get your ideas from? How many times have we heard that question as authors? The writers gift lists at the end of the year are full of pens and notebooks and waterproof shower whiteboards, ready to capture all the ideas floating by. You are left with pages of idea fragments but no story. Greer Macallister has the solution.
You might even find a unique voice and spin on a story idea that has never been done before. Only you can tell it.
Maureen
@craicer
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