Top Picks Thursday 10-29-2015

Welcome to the last Top Picks Thursday of October! Let’s dive into the spooky world of publishing…

#WeNeedDiverseBooks is sponsoring a mentorship program. If you are interested, the application deadline is October 31st.

Speaking of diversity, Sharanya Sharma discusses diverse depictions in South Asian literature and author James Dawson comes out as transgender.

Google won its latest court battle against the Authors Guild. Pamela Samuelson explains why Google’s court victory is good for scholarly authors. 

A new Pew survey shows that young adults are reading more than older adults. 

NaNoWriMo insanity is only a few short days away. Janice Hardy shows how to plan your novel’s ending, and Rochelle Bradley lists 10 things NaNoWriMo taught her. 

Halloween is upon us! It is Horror Week on Goodreads, with authors and contests, and Jeanette Solomon shares 3 creepy books for the faint of heart.

CRAFT

The opening of your story is a hugely important part of your book—it’s what draws the reader in and makes them want to read to the end. P.J. Parrish generates her opening using pictures, and Sally Apokedak explains how to hook your readers in three easy steps.

Julia Rosen dissects multiple stories to examine narrative, the structural skeleton of story.

If you want to write, Asma Elgamal has 26 reasons to get up and do it. If you want to keep writing, Jami Gold explains why a long-term plan is necessary, and Janice Hardy shows how to stay motivated with writing goals.

We all feel for a hero who sacrifices for others. K.M. Weiland shows us how to make your hero’s self-sacrifice even more heartbreaking, and James Scott Bell reveals the one thing every protagonist must have.

So many times writers need to trim their word count—an agonizing prospect. Diana Urban shares words you should cut from your writing immediately, and Jody Hedlund explains how to balance showing versus telling.

Do your hands hurt from typing or eyes ache from staring at a screen? Try talking! C.K. MacLeod lists 5 tips for dictating your writing. 

Kathleen McCleary discusses a feeling most writers know all too well: writing as a juggling act. 

Almost every story requires some research. Jami Gold warns that when researching, especially for diversity, consider the source before using the information. 

Sometimes the words won’t come. Susan Reynolds gives us 5 reasons for writer’s block, and Emily Wenstrom shares the 4 faces of writing fears.

We all have stories that we hold dear from our childhood. When a new story is added to that canon, it can be disconcerting. Chuck Wendig gives advice on how to view those new canonical stories as a win-win situation.

Every writer’s path is different, and we should remember that when we start thinking that we are not on the “right” path. George Saunders gives us a look at his in: My Writing Education: A Timeline.

BUSINESS

Wizards in Publishing talk about the state of the publishing world today.

Sometimes we have a great book, but the market timing is just wrong. Kim English explains what to do when publishing just isn’t into you.

If the big publishers aren’t interested, try the small ones. Michele Barrow-Belisle shares 12 rather random reasons to publish with small publishers.

Jen Minkman discusses how indie authors can get their books into global markets.

Many authors market their books using price promotions—but those promotions don’t always work. Diana Urban of BookBub gives 8 reasons your ebook price promotion didn’t work.

The Internet is the primary way we connect with our readers. Frances Caballo lists the 5 basic elements of an author website, Cynthia Herron shares 5 ways to rock your author newsletter, and Kristin Lamb has 3 ways to fire up your writing career today.

THE UNIQUE SHELF

Check out these 17 beautiful rooms for the book-loving soul. 

Shakespeare spans the ages. Erik Didriksen’s book Pop Sonnets translates Top 40 tunes into iambic pentameter.

Allen Ahlberg receives a special Shoestring award—a book by top illustrators paying homage to Ahlberg.

Every wonder where certain phrases came from? The Vocabularist traces the evolution of the phrase “pushing the envelope.”

Animal stories have been with us as long as we’ve been human. Julian Harrison shows us some animal tales and illustrations from Medieval manuscripts.

Andrew DeGraff helps you understand your favorite books with amazing literary maps.

That’s all from us this week! Have a safe and spooky Halloween, everyone!