Is the rapid release self-publishing era ending? (This week in books)

This week! Books!

First up, thanks so much to all my newsletter subscribers who joined my inaugural office hours yesterday evening! Thanks for your patience as I worked out the kinks. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again. Be sure and subscribe to my newsletter if you want to be a part of future events.

Are We Nearing the End of Rapid Release? Q&A with Johnny B. Truant – Jane Friedman – This interview only available for premium subscribers of Jane Friedman’s blog/newsletter (which I’d recommend), but Jane had a fascinating conversation with Johnny B. Truant, the host of The Self-Publishing Podcast, who argues A.I. may upend the longstanding algorithm-gaming self-publishing strategy of releasing books rapid fire in favor of artisanal approaches and long-term relationships with readers.

killer comps – Leigh Stein, Attention Economy – A guest post by literary critic Lisa Levy on what makes for good comps. Some very good advice here!

Rare copy of The Hobbit sells for ‘record-breaking’ sum – Clara Bullock and Chloe Harcombe, BBC – If you had a spare £43,000 on your hands this week you could have gotten your hands on an extremely rare well-preserved first edition of The Hobbit.

Rendering Revealed for Flatiron Building’s Residential Conversion in Flatiron District, Manhattan – Michael Young and Matt Pruznick, YIMBY – Visiting the Macmillan offices in the iconic Flatiron building in Manhattan was still a singular “holy crap I’m really here” moment in every young publishing employee’s journey. Sadly, after sixty years of occupancy, Macmillan decamped in 2019 and now the Flatiron Building is getting converted into condos. Another era has ended.

Zero Tolerance – Andrea Long Chu, Vulture – Currently in Andrea Long Chu’s crosshairs: Thomas Chatterton Williams and a strain of liberal thought that is quite concerned with cancel culture but can’t seem to stomach criticism.

How To Be A Resilient Writer – Charlie Jane Anders, Happy Dancing – Some awesome tips on weather creative ups and downs.

Publicity is Dead. Long Live Publicity! – Kathleen Schmidt, Publishing Confidential – Lots of people are declaring the death of PR in our slop era. Prematurely, as Kathleen Schmidt argues.

Long Beach will open up its e-book library so teens from other states can read banned books – Natalie Canalis, Long Beach Post – The Los Angeles area continues to be at the forefront of resisting the current regime, including Long Beach opening up its e-book library so teens across the country can access banned books.

How a Dungeons & Dragons Joke Led to a Best-Selling Romance Novel – MJ Franklin, New York Times – I had not come across the phenomenon known as Tusk Love prior to Comic-Con, so imagine my surprise as I spied a massive banner showing an orc about to make out with a maiden at the Penguin Random House booth. MJ Franklin profiles the unlikely path of a running Dungeons & Dragons joke in the web series Critical Role into a bestselling novel.

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. My Friends by Fredrik Backman
2. Project Hail Mary by Andrew Weir
3. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
4. She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena
5. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

Adult print and e-book nonfiction:

1. On Power by Mark Levin
2. The Idaho Four by James Patterson and Vicky Ward
3. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
4. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
5. Gwyneth by Amy Odell

Young adult hardcover:

1. A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid
2. Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
3. Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie
4. Hour of the Pumpkin Queen by Megan Shepherd
5. The Last Tiger by Julia Riew and Brad Riew

Middle grade hardcover:

1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
2. Refugee by Alan Gratz
3. Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
4. Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
5. Odder by Katherine Applegate

This week on the blog

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

• Nothing written has to be lost

And keep up with the discussion in all the places!

• Follow me on Bluesky
• Check out the Bransforums

And finally:

What triggers lightning? Exploding stars. – Philip Plait, Bad Astronomy – In the “science can be stranger than fiction” realm, while know the conditions where lightning happens, the trigger has remained mysterious. Would you believe cosmic rays from exploding stars?

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.

And if you like this post: subscribe to my newsletter!

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