QueryTracker Blog

Helping Authors Find Literary Agents

Friday, November 21, 2014

Publishing Pulse for November 21, 2014

New At QueryTracker:


Since the last Publising Pulse, we've added four agent profiles and updated fourteen, including two who appear not to be agenting any longer. That's a lot of motion in the industry, so please make sure you double-check every agent's website or Publisher's Marketplace page before sending your query.

If you're a QueryTracker premium member, then you can be notified whenever an agent or publisher profile is added or updated. If you're not a premium member, you can just check for yourself.

Publishing News:

This year's National Book Awards sounds like it was a rather … interesting event, with racist jokes (later apologized for on twitter) and an impassioned speech by Ursula K. LeGuin.  Also, awards were given out.

Bono is going to star in a comic book. Because why wouldn't he?

Simon and Schuster has made changes to their library ebook program, removing the requirement to "buy it now."

If you remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books, their author RA Montgomery has passed away at age 78. May perpetual light shine upon him.

Oh, and bringing an end to the fun and games we've all been having on the sidelines, while authors lose revenue or else take bitter sides against one another, Amazon and Hachette have reached an agreement.   If you want some commentary about this (and who doesn't?) I recommend Hugh Howey's take.

Amazon updated the look of the author pages. I can't link to that -- just go take a look. (If you can't think of an author offhand, you can take a look at mine.)

Around the Blogosphere:

Smashwords wants you to know that ebook publishing only gets more difficult from here on out, but they have tips to help you succeed.

Goodreads compiled an infographic about reading trends by sex, and how often women read women and men read men.

Agent Janet Reid gives a newly-agented writer advice on mistakes not to make as a client.

New Republic features an essay from a writer either stunned or embittered by the notion that agents are searching for projects that make money. I recommend reading this because once the literary agent community finds it, they're going to start dissecting it on Twitter, and you should know what they're talking about.

Personal news:

This week saw publication of my novel, An Arrow In Flight, so my previous novel, Seven Archangels: Annihilation will be free until the end of today, and my Christmas novella The Boys Upstairs is now listed at $.99. If you love these blog posts, surely you'll love my books too. Right? Right.

Literary Quote of the Week:


"Don't let the fear of striking out hold you back." -Babe Ruth

Thanks for stopping by, and keep sending those queries!

---
Jane Lebak is the author of An Arrow In Flight . She has four kids, four books in print, two cats, and one husband. She lives in the Swamp and tries to do one scary thing every day. You can like her on Facebook, but if you want to make her rich and famous, please contact Roseanne Wells of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. 

1 comment:

Caryn Caldwell said...

Oh, no! I loved reading the Choose Your Own Adventures books when I was a kid.

I love your quip about the Bono comic book, too. Am very curious about how that one's going to turn out!