Leaver launches Gemini Books Group
thebookseller.com – Monday December 4, 2023
Marcus Leaver, formerly president of Sterling Publishing, c.e.o. of The Quarto Group and co-founder of the Welbeck Publishing Group, has formed Gemini Books Group, with the acquisitions of Imagine That!, Palazzo Editions, Ad Lib Publishers, Mardle Books and Pimpernel Press.
The announcement said Gemini “will build a publishing business focused on the UK and North American markets through the acquisition of established companies and by incubating start-up businesses in scalable areas of the market”. Gemini’s focus will be on non-fiction gift books and children’s books.
Jon Rippon, currently managing director of Palazzo and Ad Lib/Mardle, will transition to a new role as group finance director of Gemini.
New Literary Agent Listing: Aram Fox
firstwriter.com – Monday December 4, 2023
Crazy about commercial and literary fiction that put immersive storytelling front and center, and a wide range of nonfiction including memoir, narrative nonfiction, natural history and perspective-changing explainers and advice-givers.
3 writing tools to use and 3 to avoid: What I've learned writing 55,000 words of my fantasy novel
laptopmag.com – Sunday December 3, 2023
Writing is challenging, especially if you’re taking on a 110K-word fantasy novel like I am. If we were back in the pen and paper days, I would have given up years ago — my hand cramps just thinking about it. But we are in the modern era, and it’s time to let modern technology help us out (no, I’m not talking about AI, may the gods damn it to the nine hells).
Whether it’s a spellcheck, a planner, or the source of your manuscript, the tool you use needs to fit for the task at hand. I have used all three kinds of tools to elevate my writing, and I will continue to use it in order to hit my goal word count. But not every tool actually helped.
If you’re planning on putting the figurative pen to paper, here are 3 tools to use and 3 tools to avoid.
Woke books bought by publishers for hundreds of thousands FLOP after disastrous sales
gbnews.com – Sunday December 3, 2023
Woke books which received huge advances have flopped commercially following dire sales, industry experts claim.
Insiders suggest "ideological fanatics" who allow politics to dominate professional decisions have seen profits plummet.
Among the books which have suffered huge losses includes a memoir by actor Elliot Page about his journey transitioning.
"Pageboy" was bought for a $3million advance but has sold just 68,000 copies.
New Publishing Imprint Listing: American Mystery Classics
firstwriter.com – Thursday November 30, 2023
Dedicated to reissuing classic American mystery fiction in new hardcover and paperback editions.
Sports Illustrated accused of publishing articles written by AI
theguardian.com – Thursday November 30, 2023
The US sports publication Sports Illustrated is embroiled in scandal after it has been accused of running articles written by artificial intelligence.
An investigative report published by the science and technology news publication Futurism found Sports Illustrated published articles written by fake authors. These fake authors also had headshots and biographies generated by artificial intelligence, Futurism’s investigation found.
For instance, one profile page of purported author “Sora Tanaka” claims she is a product reviewer. The page said: “Sora has always been a fitness guru, and loves to try different foods and drinks. Ms Tanaka is thrilled to bring her fitness and nutritional expertise to the Product Reviews Team, and promises to bring you nothing but the best of the best.”
But it turns out, Sora Tanaka is not a real person.
How to Write a Book: A 10-Step Guide
awesomelyluvvie.com – Thursday November 30, 2023
Writing a book is both an art and a science. It’s a journey that demands creativity, discipline, and strategic planning. I’ve written 4 New York Times bestselling books in 8 years, and I’ve used the same formula to make each happen. And now, I want to help more people get their stories out in ink, through books. I know the power of books, because becoming an author has changed my life! That’s why I’ve created The Book Academy, and why I’m teaching others how to get published!
Here’s a comprehensive 10-step guide to help you navigate from a budding idea to a published masterpiece.
Do I Need a Literary Agent?
keepthefaith.co.uk – Thursday November 30, 2023
Literary agent Vanessa Grossett explains the reasons for needing a literary agent, and the ins and outs of finding one
“Do I need a literary agent?” or “I am looking for a Christian-based literary agent” are the common question and statement I have been receiving lately, especially from new authors. Here is some info about why you might need one and how to find one.
What does a literary agent do?
A literary agent, sometimes called a literary manager, sells manuscripts on behalf on their authors. They manage their authors by making sure manuscripts get delivered on time to their editor; reading through contracts; some negotiate deals, and help promote their clients’ books.
New Magazine Listing: Kavya Kishor
firstwriter.com – Wednesday November 29, 2023
An online literary magazine of English and Bengali language from Bangladesh.
New Literary Agent Listing: Sophie Kelleher
firstwriter.com – Tuesday November 28, 2023
Joined the agency in January 2020, originally working as an assistant. In 2022, she covered an agent's maternity leave, expanding her knowledge as an agent across film, television and theatre. She now works as an associate agent with her own list of writers. Prior to her career in film and TV, she worked in publishing.
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