If you have plot bunnies coming out of your plot holes, it’s time for a writing break.
Well, hello again. This episode is going to be different from our usual format. I am currently out of the office until the new year, but I wanted to give you a quick rundown of some important news from the book world, plus, a little gift.
The Writing Break cafe is open, and they have your favorite seasonal drink, so let’s grab a table and I’ll fill you in on some publishing news.
The year is coming to an end, and so are a few other things in the land of literature.
After 28 years, Bookforum, the New York-based magazine devoted to book reviews and literary discussions, will be closing its doors. Despite having a circulation of more than 60,000, it just wasn’t profitable enough.
t month, which it acquired in:
Amazon is ending its print textbook rental program as well as its Kindle newspaper and magazine subscriptions. QUOTE “Any newspapers or magazines that wish to continue being offered via Kindle must first be invited to participate and also switch over to Kindle Unlimited, where payments will happen under a different model.” END QUOTE
Among the recent USA Today layoffs was the longtime editor of the USA Today bestseller list. USA Today says the list is on “hiatus” until next year, although rumor has it the list is not coming back.
The interesting thing about the USA Today list was that it ranked books based solely on unit sales. That means it didn’t take format or price point into consideration and gave self-publishing authors a chance to make the list.
Links to these articles can be found in the show notes of this episode and on writingbreak.com.
Before we depart for the year, join me on the Overthinking Couch for a quick gift exchange.
The new year is a great time for aspiring writers to get serious about their writing and for longtime writers to start a new project. I recommend you use that new year energy and start writing right away. Don’t worry too much about the perfect writing spot or software or notebook. Just get started. The rest will follow.
To help you along, you’ll find a link in the show notes to BookBaby’s Six-Month Publishing Plan. This is not an endorsement of BookBaby, and it’s not sponsored, but it’s a simple guide that could help you get a handle on the publishing process.
As for what you can gift me, how about recommending Writing Break to at least one other person before the new year? I bet it’ll generate some good writing energy for yourself.
That’s all for this year. Many publishing executives are on holiday this week, so if you don’t get a response to your query letters, don’t worry about it just yet. I’ll meet you back at our usual table in the Writing Break cafe on January 10th.
If you would like us to visit your favorite independent bookstore, feature your favorite independent author (even if it’s you), or discuss something you’re overthinking about, please email me at podcast@writingbreak.com.
Thank you for making space in your mind for The Muse today.
Writing Break is hosted by America’s Editor and produced by Allon Media with technical direction by Gus Aviles. Visit us at writingbreak.com or contact us at podcast@writingbreak.com.
