Welcome to this week’s Top Picks Thursday roundup! The groundhog said 6 more weeks of winter. Can we make it?
Check out The Horn Book reviews of the 2017 Newbery Award winners.
Baileys announces an end to sponsoring the Women’s Prize for Fiction as marketing priorities shift.
In the current political climate, many people are struggling with just how vocal to be on social media. Lee Wind brings us a round up of author’s thoughts on talking politics on social media.
The current administration has libraries on edge, as rumors of cutting programs that fund libraries fly.
If YA is your thing, Adventures in YA Publishing has a YA Sunday Morning News link roundup just for you.
Are you a mystery buff? At Mysterious Bookshop in TriBeCa, it’s a daily hunt for clues and diversions.
CRAFT
All stories begin with an idea, but to be successful, they have to have a hook. K.M. Weiland tells us what a hook is, and how to find exactly the right story hook to capture the reader.
Characters carry the story. Kristen Lamb unpacks the “character-driven” story for us, Angela Ackerman shows how to make each detail count when describing your character, and Jack Woodville London has 12 questions to help you create memorable characters.
After drafting comes revision and editing. Naomi Hughes reveals the top 3 scene issues she encounters, and Kristen Lamb has 6 easy ways to clean up your own manuscript.
Check out the top 10 myths about writing children’s books, explore the surprising ingenuity behind Goodnight Moon, and read an interview with children’s author Stephanie Burgis.
Stephanie Morrill shares 5 things she learned when she switched genres, Jane Friedman discusses writer envy, Ruth Harris describes how resilience will help you reach your writing goals, and Ava Jae reflects on the unpredictable nature of a writing career.
BUSINESS
Take a peek into the real world of authorship, as Kameron Hurley shares a breakdown of her writing income from 2016.
If you are looking at the traditional publishing path, you will want an agent. Janet Reid discusses when and how agents represent short stories, and Jane Lebak alerts writers to watch out for when your agent wants to charge you a fee.
Think merchandising is something new? Think again. See how Beatrix Potter invented character merchandising.
Marketing is complicated—figuring out when and how to get the best exposure for your work is tough. Amy Collins has several book marketing tips based on mistakes made by others, and Jane Friedman urges authors to think twice before paying for BEA (Book Expo America).
Much marketing and author-reader connection takes place online. Sabrina has 139 tools and resources for building your author website and/or blog, Jennifer Brown Banks shows how to create a social media marketing plan, Anne R. Allen has 5 bad reasons to blog and 5 good ones, and Shari Stauch reminds us to engage our audience with epic social media images.
THE UNIQUE SHELF
Neil Pasricha outlines how to read (a lot) more books this year.
Sharanya Sharma muses over how beloved books change when reading them with new eyes.
Take a look at these striking photos of readers around the world.
Read the strange history of bibliomania, or compulsive book buying.
An alumna gives Dickinson College students a rare behind-the-scenes look at a Charlotte Brontë exhibit.
Christina DesMarais explains 20 embarrassing phrases even smart people misuse.
That’s all for this week’s Top Picks Thursday! See you next week!
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