Welcome to the first Top Picks Thursday of 2016! We’re looking forward to another year of bringing you craft, business, and uniquely writer-ish posts from around the blogosphere.
Looking ahead, Jane Friedman lists the Top 5 Industry Issues for authors to watch in 2016.
Finding the right people to help lift your work to the next level can be hard. If you want a critique group or partner, check out Janice Hardy’s critique connection group, and if you’re seeking a reputable, business-savvy editor, Nathan Bransford suggests Natasa Lekic’s New York Editors to find the right one for you.
CRAFT
So you want to write a book? Athena Marie has 25 things to keep in mind if you want to write a book. Jami Gold tackles two related topics this week: the steep learning curve of writing and why there is no one right way to write. Writing time is always at a premium, so K.M. Weiland shares 10 methods to find more writing time.
Rebecca Faith Heyman discusses an alarming new trend among new writers—the myth of the Everyreader. James Chartrand explains how to spot, fix, and eliminate passive voice in everything you write.
If you have writer’s block, Diane MacKinnon says cognitive dissonance may be to blame, while Bryn Donovan suggests the fast list method to beat writer’s block and get back to work.
BUSINESS
Nowadays writers have a whole spectrum of options for publishing their work. Martina Boone examines 5 options on how to publish your book, while Chuck Sambuchino suggests this publishing strategy. For self-publishers, Jane Friedman shares a handy self-publishing checklist that will get you from manuscript to book, and Mark Williams discusses goals and markets for going global in 2016. For traditional-minded authors Jane Lebak looks at when you should stop pushing a manuscript and give up.
Marketing is all about branding. Kimberly Grabas shows how to build your author brand from scratch, and Janet Reid tells writers how to do an author bio right and when we need a website, while Belle Consulting lists 9 things every website needs.
Much of marketing is done on social media, so Kirsten Oliphant shares best practices for Facebook Pages and Groups.
THE UNIQUE SHELF
Looking for inspiration? For an illustration? For a book cover image? The New York Public Library has released over 180,000 public domain images—from manuscripts to pictures—free online to the public.
That’s all for this week’s Top Picks Thursday! See you next week!
The Author Chronicles 
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