News & Notes – 4/05/14

April 5, 2014 News & Notes 4

News & Notes is a weekly Saturday post featuring book- and publishing-related news, links to interesting articles and opinion pieces, giveaways on this and other blogs, and other cool stuff.

Books & Ebooks in the News:

    Worth Reading: 

    • “Text is the New Black: The new face (or lack thereof) of YA Book Covers.  E. Kristin Anderson has written a terrific exploration of the new, gender-neutral trend in YA covers. It’s a breath of fresh air for those of us who’ve been concerned about the effects of gendered covers on teen readers – especially male readers, who are less likely to pick up a book if they think it’s “for girls.” (Write All the Words!)
    • Neil Gaiman points out that authors aren’t our servants. On his blog, Gaiman responds to a fan who is annoyed with G.R.R. Martin for not having the next book out already, and more generally to readers’ sense of entitlement and impatience with authors. It’s a good reminder, as I’m waiting on several series experiencing delays, that I’d rather have the book be good than meet some arbitrary schedule.
    • The Authors Guild elects a self-published author to the Executive Council. Apparently they have also been admitting self-published authors who reach a $5000 earnings threshold. And there’s a new nonvoting membership available also: Associate Member, for those with an agent who aren’t yet published and self-published authors with at least $500 in earnings. Good to see the AG opening its doors a bit wider. (GoodEReader)
    • “5 Tips for Running a Little Free Library” – If you like the idea of a Little Free Library, why not set up your own? Swapna Krishna did, and here are her tips for making it a success. (BookRiot)
    •  Paper Lantern Lit and the Rise of the Hybrid Agent – as in, a hybrid of ebook-only self-publishing and traditional publishing. (GoodEReader)

     

      For Writers & Bloggers:

      Book, Movie, and Stage Announcements:

       Fan art posters by HogwartSite on DeviantArt

      Awesome lists: 

       

        Just for fun:  

        • David Tennant reads Shakespeare’s sonnets… for over 8 minutes, to a series of slides showing him in various Shakespearean roles. Wonderful!
        • And if you like that one, try his reading of Sonnet 18 on Vimeo. 

        Bookish Quotes:

        That’s it for this week!

        I’m always on the lookout for interesting articles, lists, and links for News & Notes, so please let me know if you see (or write!) anything that might be good for this feature.  You can leave me a comment or send me an email — my address is on the About/Review Policy/Contact page.

        4 Responses to “News & Notes – 4/05/14”

        1. Bea

          I’m tired of reading about the death of ebooks. Change happens people, deal with it. Argh.

          I’ve thought about setting up a Little Free Library so I need to read that article. I know zoning and permits will be an issue.

          Happy weekend!

          • Lark @ The Bookwyrm's Hoard

            I don’t think ebooks are going away, but the market may not grow as fast or may even plateau, and that’s fine. I don’t think they’re going to kill off print books any time soon, either (though they may eventually.) Right now, I think the market has plenty of room for both, and I wish people would stop demonizing ebooks or blaming them for the demise of bookstores (which was starting well before ebooks — I remember when Waldenbooks and B&N were blamed for driving indie bookstores out of business.)

            I hadn’t thought about zoning and permits for a Little Free Library, but in some cities or counties, you’re probably right. Definitely something to check out before you put one up!