Publishing Industry news

Welcome to the first publishing news and industry blogs post of 2014! This post covers the New Year: 12/29/13-1/10/14.


Publishing News

 The DoJ and the States, from the parallel DoJ vs Apple and States vs Apple price-fixing lawsuits, urge Judge Cote to deny Apple's bid for a stay of some of the terms of the injunction. Apple asks the court to fire its external monitor, citing bias, after the monitor files a defense brief in response to their initial claims against him.

The Authors Guild files an appeal on the dismissal of the Authors Guild vs the Google library scanning project, asking for the lawsuit to be reinstated.

Is Sherlock Holmes public domain? At first it looked like he was, but then things became a bit cloudy. The estate owning the Sherlock Holmes copyright argues the characters weren't "complete" until the final Sherlock book was published; the copyright on the first 50 books have since expired, but the "full" character of Sherlock (and company) aren't public domain.What that means is still unclear.

The holidays weren't kind to the Nook.

Bookish, a book-related social network, after struggling for a couple of years just to get launched, has been purchased by Zola, a start-up online retailer.

The world loses an invaluable trove of books after a library full of historic books burns down in Lebanon. Over 2/3 of the 80,000 books were lost.

J.K. Rowling's lawyer who leaked that she was Robert Galbraith is fined.

GoodReads is up to 25 million users.


Industry Blogs

QueryTracker's Publishing Pulse for 1/3.

Writer Beware publishes their top posts from 2013. Want to make sure you didn't miss any warnings or advice? Also, Strauss discusses the ethical issues of Scribd's subscription service, which has in recent years paired up with traditional publishers and offers legal access to many books for an $8.99 a month fee... but also continues to offer access to illegally uploaded copies of copyrighted books. It's also an example of publishers taking liberty with authors' rights... but it could be a major future source of author revenue.

On QueryTracker, "Miss Rosie" advises herself with resolutions for the new year--good advice for any writer (that none of us will probably follow to the letter). Ash Krafton lists 5 mistakes that make your query letter look amateur. And Stina Lindenblatt offers 11 tips for making a book trailer.

Several agents vent their query letter pet peeves. Querying? Don't peeve them off!

Kristine Kathryn Rusch posts part 5 (putting in the long-term effort) and part 6 (branding) of her "discoverability" series.

Agent Janet Reid answers more questions: "In my query letter, am I required to tell agents about any editors I've queried?" (No. In fact, please don't.) "If I publish a book and the publisher ends the contract, do they own the rights the world? Can they stop me from self-publishing more books in the series/world after the end of the contract?" (Only in a really, really bad contract would they still have rights after the contract has ended. Don't sign a contract like that.) "If I review books, and I post a bad review on a book you represent, will it hurt my chances when I query you?" (Yes. But if you've already done it, don't stop doing book reviews now--just make sure they're honest, fair, and the critique is on real issues in the book itself.)

And some more: Does being older have a negative impact on my query letter? (Unfortunately, yes. Don't mention your age in your query.) Should I include publishing credits from a traditional publisher from an unrelated genre? Even if it's gay erotic romance? (Yes. It proves you write well enough to be published. You might have to describe the publishing company, though, if the agent won't be familiar with it.) Can I use a gimmick in my query, since non-formulaic queries do well? (No. There's a difference between gimmick and non-formulaic.) My manuscript isn't finished, but the agent seemed interested during the conference. Should I query? (No, but maybe drop a short e-mail their way.) My protagonist is a kid; does that make it automatically YA? (No, it doesn't.) Someone you know that you think should be a writer? (She recommends sending them to AbsoluteWrite.com.)

She also gives some advice: How to answer when someone asks you how your book is selling.

Agent Suzie Townsend recaps a panel and her answers to several questions. She's looking for more magical realism, by the way.

And author Jim Hines once again posts his publishing income, in hopes of giving aspiring authors a realistic expectation of what they may earn through writing.

George R.R. Martin offers 10 tips on writing.

Science says reading is good for your brain. And doctors prescribe books to treat depression.

Favorite Teas of Other Authors

You know I love tea, but what about other writers? Turns out, I'm not alone. I've asked some other authors to share their favorite teas with me today, and what they love about them.

Favorite tea: Chai!

Carol A. Strickland
Author of Touch of Danger
Temporarily powerless, superhero Valiant must outrun a mercenary army across an otherwise deserted South Pacific island, accompanied by beautiful psychic Lina, who is acutely phobic to touch. What the world's greatest superhero asks for is what she's unable to give.

Her favorite tea: Chai
What she says about it:
"I couldn’t begin a day without a cup of chai; I’m addicted. I love the spice, the sweet, the latte! It may rack up more than a few Weight Watchers points, but it’s worth it. I drink Oregon Chai because the brand is fairly easily found, and a box of 8 packets still costs less than one Starbucks chai. (Though if you really need to wake up, Starbucks’ version is the way to go.)"



Debra Mullins

Favorite tea: English Breakfast!

Author of Prodigal Son
A bounty hunter descended from the ancient Seers of Atlantis uses his power to pursue criminals, but his latest case sends him in pursuit of a mystical stone from the legendary city, and a woman he can’t resist.

Her favorite tea: "English Breakfast"
She says about tea:
"I am solely a tea drinker, iced or hot. I don't care for most herbal teas and drink almost exclusively black teas. My grandparents came to the U.S. from Ireland, and I picked up their habit of drinking tea with milk and sweetener from my dad. That’s why I prefer the black teas. Herbal teas just can't stand up to all that stuff. And it has to be milk, not cream. I love Starbucks black iced tea, but for hot teas, my current favorite is English Breakfast. I also love Bigelow's Vanilla black tea and Constant Comment."



Rhett Bigler

Favorite tea: White Christmas Tree!

Author of Murder and Mochas
A fun genre mash-up, Murder & Mochas bounces a sarcastic and gritty detective off aliens and life in a small southern town to produce an amusing, page-turning mystery.

Favorite tea: White Christmas Tree
What he says about it: 
"My favorite tea is White Christmas Tea by Harney & Sons. For me this tea combines the sweet tingle of writing, with the cozy warmth of spending a winter’s day inside reading. It has an incredible almond and vanilla aroma that carries over to a delicate flavor. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a book (being written or read)."

Favorite tea: English Breakfast!

Cecilia Dominic
Author of The Mountain's Shadow
Recently fired Chronic Lycanthropy Syndrome researcher Joanie Fisher's inheritance has problems: disappearing children and sexy werewolves. Resuming her research will unravel the mysteries of Wolfsbane Manor, but she'll unearth painful secrets and risk the loss of love, friendship, and family. 

Her favorite tea: English Breakfast

What she says about it: "Call me boring, but I'm a fan of basic black English Breakfast tea. Yes, I like tea that tastes like tea. The good quality stuff doesn't need anything added to it and has a nice caffeine kick, strong but not bitter flavor, and often some floral notes. I usually have a cup every afternoon and like to pair it with something sweet if possible. And, of course, I like to have a cup nearby while I'm writing."

Favorite tea: Earl Grey!

Lorenda Christensen
Author of Never Deal with Dragons:
The first in a new series, a human mediator bites off more than she can chew when she agrees to partner with an ex-boyfriend to stop a war between two dragon monarchs.

Her favorite tea: "Earl Grey, hot"
She says about Earl Grey:
"Mostly because I'm a Star Trek fan, but I like the hint of orange in an otherwise normal cup of tea. Not to mention there are tons of desserts out there that use Earl Grey as a (yummy) ingredient. It's nerdy and tasty, all at the same time!"

Favorite tea: Mango!

DM Simpson 
Author of The Ties that Bind
Arriving in Boston after graduating college, unaware of what the future holds, Lyric walks through the doors of the Mainwaring Family Law Firm for her interview--her chance to escape her fears and find herself where no one knows who or what she is...or isn't.

Her favorite tea: PF Chang's mango tea
Why she loves it: "The flavor is very mellow. It reminds me of the time I spent in Dakar, Senegal, and had my first taste of the mango fruit!"

Fritz Freiheit

Favorite tea: Genmaicha!

Author of The Red Rook 
Penny would rather be appreciated for her brains than her powers. But when one of her school mates disappears, she'll have no choice but to take up the mantle of superhero. Because in The Red Rook, you don't get to choose which piece you are, only how you play the game.

His favorite tea: Genmaicha
He says about it: 
"Oh, so very difficult to choose a favorite tea! The first one to come to mind was Earl Grey (how cliché! but good), then simple black tea (because I drink so much of it), and green tea (a habit I picked up in Japan). I finally settled on a variation of green tea, called genmaicha, which is green tea mixed with toasted rice, for its rich, almost nutty flavor."

There you have it--no author is complete without his or her favorite tea! Have you tried any of these great brews? How'd you like them? And do you have any recommendations for the authors to try next?

Book release!

Be one of the first to get your hands on a copy of Into the Tides! As of today it is available on Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and Amazon; and it will soon be available on iBookstore and CreateSpace (print editions).

Music magic would be more useful if Kelly weren’t tone-deaf. As it is, she barely qualifies as having magic at all. But she’s learned to make some use of her magic: she can hear the rhythms of things. Footsteps, heartbeats–the in-and-out rush of the tides. Ocean tides, that is, not the Tides that drowned the South.

That magical disaster wiped out most everything east of Texas and south of Virginia. The world lost millions of people; she lost nearly everyone in her family. But it’s three years over, and now it’s time to try to move on.

Or so she thinks.

But something’s wrong with the rhythms of local lake. Something magically wrong. And while environmentalists hail the return of otters to the lake as a victory, she can’t shake the feeling those aren’t normal otters.

Her brother and her handsome neighbor Derik, another Carolina orphan, refuse to let her investigate alone. Derik, from a family with a military legacy, swears he’ll keep her brother out of danger. Only, Derik’s got this thing about letting people make their own choices, and with everyone else her brother loves lost to the Tides, she doesn’t think her brother will choose to stay safe. Not even when the investigation leads into the heart of magic itself.

Also check out my main website, rebekkahniles.net, for book extras such as maps, calendars, author commentary, and more.

Thank you all for reading, and for supporting me in my journey as an author. 

Happy reading!

The phone covers turned out nice.

Into the Tides goes live tomorrow! Hurrah!

Looks nifty on a gymbag.

I've been excitedly preparing for the release, including spiffing up my website (rebekkahniles.net) and setting up a CafePress shop.

For the latter, I've made an extra design, and am thinking about adding others.

And, of course, I've been running around and squeeing, and bouncing off the walls. It's my first release. Of course I'm excited!

Wish me luck, and please feel free to pick up a copy of your own! The book is available for pre-order at Smashwords, and will be up for sale on Amazon and Barnes and Noble tomorrow.

Tone-deaf Kelly has long considered her inborn music magic to be useless. But after a disaster drowns the American South in magic, including most of her family, she discovers her “useless” magic lets her hear the voices of those lost. Now she’ll face magic itself to save them–only the attempt may cost her everyone she has left.

Doctors prescribe books in England

Read two chapters and call me in the morning.

It's no great surprise that I love to read. And if a doctor prescribed a book to me, I'd be quite happy to take it twice daily!

So I'm pretty tickled that the NHS is trying a experiment with prescribing books. To be fair, they're self-help books, to help readers address depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. The result? They've found that the books prescribed (and some were better than others) were less effective than actual therapy, but more effective than nothing. And since many people end up with nothing, due to waiting lists or the expense of therapy, "better than nothing" is a term that quite applies.

I prescribe reading my book. It'll be out in two more days!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2014!

May all your good dreams come true, and all the bad ones disappear on waking up.

My dream come true.

Playing around with art!

Screaming Aaron Leid

As I've been getting ready for my book release on January 5, I've been playing with pictures!

I'm thinking of starting a CafePress site for Tides-related gear. Maybe it's just my pre-release mania, though...

But as I finish up my final edits, boy have I been having fun!

The Empty Tides

The first picture, oh-so-creatively titled "Screaming Aaron Leid" (you'll get it by the end of the story, I promise), is a collage of butterflies from the cover, tinted and assembled with Photoshop Elements. I used Pixlr to create the face, starting with a photo of a long-past person screaming (wow, that seems morbid...) and generously applied the smudge and blur tools, and then added and played around with colors to get the right surrealistic look. (Yes, there was may have been some giggling and references to the joys of finger painting. What of it?)

The second was done with a generous application of the magic wand tool to my cover in Photoshop Elements. It looked pretty cool, so I figured I'd keep it around... There may be a few tweaks before it's ready, though!

Okay, maybe I'm not the next Da Vinci. But it was fun, and it kept me motivated to finish my edits on time.

Now I just have the formatting to go. Wish me luck!