Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing

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Query critique up for grabs! (This week in books)

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This week! Books!

First off, are you in the market for a query critique and/or phone consultation? Are you interested in donating to a good cause? Well I have quite a combo for you. Please bid on a query critique and 30 minute chat with yours truly, and all proceeds will benefit We Need Diverse Books.

While you’re at it, there are a ton of great publishing related services and items up for grabs, check them out!

And while you’re at it, please do consider joining me in donating to Heifer International this holiday season.

Now then, on to the links! (And no, I’m not getting into the latest Goodreads drama, though that is there for the searching if you really want to find it).

If you are a Harry Potter fan and have always wanted to drive the Hogwarts Express, there’s a job opening with your name on it.

Anne R. Allen has a great roundup of 10 things that will sink your query letter, with some advice that may sound familiar if you frequent these parts. Thanks, Anne!

Meanwhile, Jane Friedman has a great reminder: no matter how confident they sound, no one–not even agents and editors–are always correct about a project’s market potential. Keep persevering.

After her friend Rebecca Godfrey died, Leslie Jamison agreed to finish the project Godfrey had been working on for a decade, a novel about heiress and legendary art collector Peggy Guggenheim. She now writes a devastating essay on loss, the authorial lens, and the intimacy of the writing process.

And it’s utterly heartbreaking what’s happening in Gaza, including the ongoing devastation of their libraries, which served as cultural hubs and community spaces.

This week in bestsellers

Here are the top five NY Times bestsellers in a few key categories. (All links are affiliate links):

Adult print and e-book fiction:

  1. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
  2. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
  3. Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell
  4. The Exchange by John Grisham
  5. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

  1. The Woman in Me by Britney Spears
  2. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
  3. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
  4. My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
  5. The Wager by David Grann

Young adult hardcover:

  1. Murtaugh by Christopher Paolini
  2. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
  3. Betting on You by Lynn Painter
  4. Powerless by Lauren Roberts
  5. Nightbane by Alex Aster

Middle grade hardcover:

  1. The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen Kids
  2. The Complete Baking Book for Young Chefs by America’s Test Kitchen Kids
  3. Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World by Tui T. Sutherland
  4. The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac by J.K. Rowling
  5. The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

This week on the blog

In case you missed them, here are this week’s posts:

Don’t forget that you can nominate your first page and query for a free critique on the blog:

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

And finally, as a newly minted Angeleno I can’t escape the hype around health food/influencer juggernaut Erewhon. This deep dive into the company’s history by Kerry Howley is fantastic, and when I got to the last line… reader I screamed.

Have a great weekend!

Need help with your book? I’m available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!

For my best advice, check out my online classes, my guide to writing a novel and my guide to publishing a book.

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Photo: The Huntington, San Marino, CA. Follow me on Instagram!

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