Welcome to this week’s Top Picks Thursday! Yesterday, October 17th, was Black Poetry Day. There’s no literary event today, but it is National Chocolate Cupcake Day!
Randall Horton asks: can poetry save a life?
Deborah Dixon examine representation in literature: why it’s important and how to handle it.
In awards news, Maryse Conde wins an alternative to the literature Nobel in a scandal-plagued year.
Donalyn Miller brings research on the power of reading, while a new study confirms that growing up in a home filled with books is good for you.
We love our book stores, but Erin Bartnett explains why buying books alone will not save our beloved bookstores.
It’s mid-October, so many writers’ thoughts are turning to the upcoming NaNoWriMo. Nina Amir has a preparation checklist for both NaNoWriMo and NaNonFiWriMo.
CRAFT
While we usually talk novels here, sometimes we find articles suited for other formats. Mary Kole discusses picture book structure, and Melissa Donovan explores prose poetry.
Starting a project can be a fraught process. Janice Hardy tells us how to use focused brainstorming to develop a plot, Roz Morris shows how to outline a book without killing the fun of writing it, and Laurence MacNaughton has an incredibly easy way to outline your novel.
Two of the most important parts of your novel are the beginning and the end. Kathryn Craft discusses how to rock an anecdotal opening, while James Scott Bell explains how to mess up your lead character’s ordinary day right from the start. Jami Gold tackles the opposite end of the book, with a close look at the pros and cons of epilogues.
The beginning and end are important, but then there’s all that stuff in between. Stavros Halvatzis asks: what are the stakes for your hero?, Dominic Selwood puts the fun in punctuation, and Janice Hardy shares what we need to know about internalization.
There are a lot of places in the writing process where we can get stuck. Julie Glover lists 6 tips for procrastinators to finish the book already, Mackenzie Belcastro has 4 suggestions for navigating the multi-genre waters, and George A. Bernstein talks about the value of critiques and writing contests.
Writing is more than just putting words on a page—it is a mindset and a worldview. Darius Foroux explains why a daily writing habit improves your life, Mark Alpert discusses science fiction and reality, and K.M. Weiland delves deep into how to cherish language (and why it is important to do so).
BUSINESS
The publishing business is ceaselessly morphing. Judith Briles examines 4 of the biggest changes in publishing, IngramSpark walks us through the basics of ISBNs, and David Gaughran discusses why Kindle Unlimited is such a cheater magnet.
If you are seeking an agent, here’s some agenting advice. Janet Reid deals with approaching an agent that turned you down if you now have an offer in hand, and when to disclose to an agent a self-published-but-no-longer-available version of the book you are querying. Meanwhile, Bob Hostetler tells us how to remove the easy “no” when querying.
Time is at a premium, and there are so many marketing ways we can spend that time. Jane Friedman asks: how much time should you spend building your author platform?, Chrys Fey shares how to do book events on a budget, Jane returns with a look at how preorder campaigns can help hone your book descriptions, and Amy Collins has the definitive list of dos and don’ts for Amazon reviews.
Keywords are important for discoverability, but how do you pick the right words? David Kudler discusses his latest experiments with keywords and Amazon metadata, Brad Borkan explains how lateral thinking boosts keyword success, and Dave Chesson examines how your reader’s level of awareness influences keywords and fanbase growth.
Online interactions make up the bulk of our contact with fans. Stephanie Chandler lists steps to maximize your Amazon Author Central account, Rachel Thompson shows us how to do Twitter right, and Frances Caballo has 20 tips to rock your social media updates.
A blog is often the home base of an author. Cristian Mihai explains why you should use quotes in your blog posts, Sandra Beckwith tells us how being a cheerleader for others helps you promote your own book, and Ali Luke gives us 3 ways to give your readers a fresh take on a well-worn idea.
THE UNIQUE SHELF
Kendra James gives us an essential black folklore reading list.
Check out the most Instagrammed writers.
Go inside the rooms where 20 famous books were written.
In honor of Elmore Leonard’s birthday, here are his 12 greatest opening lines.
How worried should I be? Laine Higgins examines how typos can give insight into your mental health?
That’s all for this week’s Top Picks Thursday! Join us next week for more writerly links.
The Author Chronicles 
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