Industry News & Trends


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Character

As publishing endeavors to address inclusion and diverse representation in fiction, an inevitable question arises: Can authors write characters whose experience is outside of their own?

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Choosing a Publishing Service

What is Self-Publishing 3.0? Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) founder Orna Ross explains the shift from the earliest iterations of self-publishing to today’s landscape with Self-Publishing 3.0.

 A former acquiring editor of children’s books at Little, Brown and Simon & Schuster, Sangeeta Mehta (@sangeeta_editor) runs her own editorial services company. She also founded and co-chairs the Editorial Freelancers Association’s Diversity Initiative and serves on the board of The Word, a nonprofit that promotes diversity in literature.

writing conferences

Although 2019 is well under way, there’s still time to register for these diversity-centric writing conferences and events taking place later this year.

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Screenwriting (Film)

Bird Box author and multidisciplinary creative Josh Malerman shares insights into his writing process, what it’s like having a story adapted for the screen, his unique theatrical book readings and more.

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Publishing Insights

In a genre that has historically lacked diversity, six writers of color discuss overcoming the challenge of breaking in and the current climate for crime, mystery and thriller fiction.

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The Writer’s Life

Explore Jane Friedman’s 2018 Year in Review—her take on the latest trends and shakeups in the book and magazine realm, and what those mean for writers in the coming year.

 Cover for Grief and What Comes After by Ailey O'Toole

Writing Techniques

Those who are in-the-know on poetry news most likely have heard about the latest high-profile case of plagiarism in poetry. The poem “Gun Metal,” which was nominated for the 2018 Pushcart Prize, and many other poems written by Ailey O’Toole have been found to plagiarize at least 11 other poets. Here’s how to avoid this problem when you’re interested in borrowing influence from another writer.

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Publishing FAQs

These days writers hoping to write, pitch, publish and platform-build have little choice but to surrender themselves to their laptops and smartphones—a complicated predicament for the dreamers of the world. Here are several pros and cons of the writing world’s love-hate relationship with technology.

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Publishing Insights

The future is genre-blending, and it’s in full bloom. Here’s why your next novel shouldn’t fit neatly into any one pot.

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Self Publishing

Amy Collins of New Shelves Books shares insider secrets about book sales and marketing tips for indie authors and small publishers, as well as small and indie publishing trends.

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writing conferences

In case you didn’t make it to the 2018 Writer’s Digest Annual Conference, or you didn’t manage to catch a session you were dying to attend, we’ve selected 100 of the greatest writing and publishing tips from the speakers who graced us with their knowledge and experiences.

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Science Fiction/Fantasy

The Octavia Project, WD’s inaugural charity partner for the 2018 Annual Conference, offers young women and trans, gender non-conforming, or questioning youth the chance to participate in free interdisciplinary workshops that encourage critical thinking, build confidence, and develop skills in a myriad of subjects.

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Book Recommendations

In the wake of debate surrounding the recently renamed Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, an African-American author considers her relationship with the beloved children’s series.

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Character

The Incredibles 2, the sequel to Pixar’s iconic superhero film, offers writers the oportunity to enhance our understanding of effective character development. Here are a few lessons from the movie that you can apply in your fiction.

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Memoir

In this piece about the impact of the #MeToo movement on how and what women write, Leigh Anne Jasheway explores different ways writers can approach sharing stories of sexual harassment and assault.

 Writing the Intimate Character: Create Unique, Compelling Characters Through Mastery of Point of View

Publishing Insights

There has been an impressive build-up in Young Adult literature to present-day concerns. Camilla chance discusses in light of her own work.

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Audiobooks

There is no one recipe for a winning audiobook, but Jessica Kaye shares the ingredients which helped make The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher the 2018 winner of the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word.

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Publishing Insights

The #MeToo movement has profoundly influenced women’s writing. Learn how, from the voices of authors who have felt this change—and share your stories.

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There Are No Rules Blog by the Editors of Writer’s Digest

The author of three novels for young adults, Ashley Hope Pérez’s most recent work, Out of Darkness, has received national acclaim. Here she discusses the representation of latinx literature in the discussion of global lit.

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