• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Nathan Bransford | Writing, Book Editing, Publishing

Helping authors achieve their dreams

  • Blog
  • Writing Advice
  • Publishing Advice
  • About
  • Take a Class
  • Get Editing

Libraries

Copyright still requires human authorship, but read the fine print (This week in books)

April 4, 2025 by Nathan Bransford

This week! Books! The Trump tariffs are tanking your 401k at the moment (if you’re lucky enough to have one), but how will they affect publishers, whose books are often printed in Asia and Europe? According to Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at the WSJ, they don’t really know either. The U.S. Copyright Office, apparently one of […]

Filed Under: This Week in Books Tagged With: A.I., A.O. Scott, Amazon, Copyright, Donald Trump, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hayao Miyazaki, Libraries, Neko Case, Penguin Random House, Tariffs, TikTok, Whiskey

Librarians are struggling (This week in books)

November 1, 2024 by Nathan Bransford

This week! Books! First up, please keep my favorite publishing sage Mike Shatzkin and his wife in your thoughts, as she shared news of his declining health on Facebook. Just a tremendous, extremely fun individual and font of knowledge. This morning, I loved revisiting my interview with him in the early days of the pandemic […]

Filed Under: This Week in Books Tagged With: Diversity, Genocide, Ghostwriting, Kate Zambreno, Ken Whyte, Libraries, LitRPG, Mike Shatzkin, Sophie Vershbow, Susan DeFreitas, Taylor Swift

The novel that predicted Putin’s war (This week in books)

April 8, 2022 by Nathan Bransford

This week! Books! People have been searching for answers for Putin’s senseless war in Ukraine, and at least one intriguing piece of the puzzle comes from Mikhail Yuriev’s 2006 utopian novel The Third Empire: Russia as It Ought to Be, which starts with an unannounced war in eastern Ukraine, and culminates in the entire world […]

Filed Under: This Week in Books Tagged With: Christian Smalls, Dan Blank, Derrick Palmer, Emily St. John Mandel, Erica Ackerberg, Fifty Shades of Grey, Katy Waldman, Libraries, Lincoln Michel, Lydia Kiesling, Ocean Vuong, Russia, Sands Hall, Tina Jordan, Unions, Wallace Stegner

Jeff Bezos is now $24 billion richer (This week in books)

April 17, 2020 by Nathan Bransford

This week! Books! Things might be feeling pretty apocalyptic outside but since the onset of the pandemic Jeff Bezos is $24 billion richer. So, uh, there’s that. In not-Amazon news, the co-founder of LitHub and Electric Lit is launching Bookshop, an online bookstore that supports independent bookstores and sports a rival affiliate program. You might […]

Filed Under: This Week in Books Tagged With: Bookshop, coronavirus, Dan Blank, Instagram, Karen Inglis, Libraries, Sarah Enni, Science Fiction, Taylor Lorenz

What Role Should Libraries Have in an Electronic World?

March 4, 2013 by Nathan Bransford

Children’s book author Terry Deary stirred up some controversy last month when he said libraries have “had their day” but no longer make sense in today’s world. He cites the lack of compensation for authors and damage to bookstores, who have to compete with an institution giving away the book for free: “People have to […]

Filed Under: E-books Tagged With: Libraries

This Week in Books 2/25/12

February 25, 2012 by Nathan Bransford

Books! This week! Lots of heads were shaking about a story in the New York Times this week: Veteran author gets rejected by 13 publishers, then she adopts a pen name and the book sells in three days. Now, it’s easy to chalk this one up to the fickleness/stupidity of publishers, as lots of people […]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: E-books, How to Find a Literary Agent, Libraries, Publishing Economics, publishing industry

Primary Sidebar

About Nathan

Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors achieve their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

My blog has everything you need to know to write, edit, and publish a book. Can’t find what you need or want personalized help? Reach out.

Learn more about me

Need Editing?

I'm available for consultations, edits, query critiques, brainstorming, and more.
Learn more!

My Books

How to Write A Novel
Cover of How to Publish a Book by Nathan Bransford
Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapo
Jacob Wonderbar for President of the Universe
Jacob Wonderbar and the Interstellar Time Warp

Forums

Need help with your query? Want to talk books? Check out the Nathan Bransford Forums
Footer Logo
Nathan Bransford

Helping authors achieve their dreams

  • Editing Services
  • My Books
  • About Me
  • Subscribe!
  • Blog Directory
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Threads Logo Facebook Logo Instagram Logo
As an Amazon and Bookshop Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon and Bookshop links are usually affiliate links.
Take your writing to the next level!

Get a free course on writing and selling the book of your dreams.

Loading
Sign up for a free publishing course!

Subscribe to the newsletter for free classes on writing craft, industry tips, and more.

Loading
Get secrets from an insider!

Sign up for the newsletter for tips on advanced writing craft, querying, marketing, and more.

Loading