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It’s Time to Start that Great American Novel: Celebrate National Novel Writing Month
During the COVID lockdown, how many people thought they would finally sit down and write that novel that has been brimming in their brain for years. Some were able to accomplish this seemingly impossible task, but for most, the dream of writing the great American...
Why Research Matters in Nonfiction Writing
Writing nonfiction is so much more than just weaving words on a page; it's a balancing act between storytelling and facts, creativity and credibility. At the heart of this type of writing lies its most essential element—research. In the world of nonfiction writing,...
Celebrate World Smile Day with a Few Books that will Leave you Grinning
“Let’s put a smile on that face.” While Heath Ledger intones these words with dread in his legendary Oscar-winning performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight, it’s a phrase that shouldn’t inspire fear in people. In 1963, artist Harvey Ball created the iconic smiley...
AI Detection Software is Hit or Miss According to Most Experts
For this year’s Peer Review Week, the theme selected was “Innovation and Technology in Peer Review”. We’ve spoken at length in recent posts about how AI and technology have changed the nature of peer review. We’ve specifically discussed ChatGPT’s growing role in peer...
Get Ready for Peer Review Week 2024: Innovation Meets Technology from September 23-28, 2024!
The academic publishing landscape is undergoing significant changes, with a growing focus on author and research integrity, alongside the increasing integration of AI. There's mounting pressure for greater transparency and efficiency in peer review as publication...
Celebrate National Dog Day with a Good Book (No Promises that the Dog Lives!)
Monday, August 26 is National Dog Day. The holiday was first established 20 years ago by animal advocates with the goal of advocating for the adoption of the numerous dogs found in animal rescues all over the country. According to a 2024 study, 65.1 million households...
Book Review: The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction by Amy J. Schneider
A quality and detailed manual to help in technically revising and formatting works of fiction. Writers and editors, certainly ones new to the trade, are inclined to focus on the importance of official style when it comes to nonfiction writing. The more “serious” the...
7 Tips to Overcome Writer’s Anxiety
After four years of political, social, and medical upheaval, stress is just a part of everyday life. If you aren’t feeling at least a little stressed, congratulations you’re probably a chatbot. The publishing industry is no stranger to stress. We’ve talked about...
The Ins and Outs of Short Story Publishing
Why Publish Short Stories One reason to publish short stories is to appeal to people who have less time to read. Because they are naturally shorter than novels, short stories get to the point faster than longer works. Stories also allow authors the opportunity to fine...
Book Review: Launch, by Jeff Walker
We love sharing books that really resonate with us, and that offer solid takeaways for authors. Launch, by Jeff Walker, is just such a book. If you're an author, entrepreneur, or just someone with a killer idea itching to hit the market, this book should be your Go...
Citation Manipulation Continues to Wreak Havoc on Publishing
One of the new buzz problems in scholarly publishing is the growing notion of citation manipulation by journals and publishing societies. We’ve previously written about the recent trend of “citation boosting services” selling fake AI-generated articles with citations...
Lighting the Fire!! The Harlem Renaissance’s Queer Publication
The Harlem Renaissance was “surely as gay as it was black.” As we bring in 2024’s celebration of Black History month, it feels only right to shine a light on the voices that have been deliberately lost to time. In 1920, the world witnessed the inspired boom of art, music, literature, politics, scholarship, and so much more that was the Harlem Renaissance....
Is SkyNet Taking Over? AI-Generated Articles Are Popping Up Left and Right
Yes, it’s hyperbolic to say that the machines are truly taking over as James Cameron predicted almost 40 years ago in The Terminator, but everyday seems to bring more and more news stories about AI infiltrating another industry. Publishing is not immune to this infiltration as anyone who works in the industry knows that ChatGPT and other similar services...
How to Organize an Author Event as an Independent Author
After your book is written, your hope as an author is for your work to reach interested readers and grow a fan base. But how do you establish connections and locate those readers? One effective approach is to arrange events such as live readings and panel discussions. This allows you to introduce your book and yourself to new audiences, interact with...
The Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Prologue
Writing a prologue can be difficult and intimidating. A prologue—the short opening section of a story—may be the first thing you read when picking up a novel. Consequently, some writers are afraid of giving away too much plot information, or of not enticing the reader with that initial sampling of their writing to continue past those first few pages....
Step-by-Step Process to Self-Publishing a Book for First Time Authors
Writing and self-publishing a book can seem like a daunting task but involves several key steps. Here's a general overview of the process: 1. Idea and Planning: - Develop a clear idea for your book and determine its genre, target audience, and unique selling points. - Create an outline or a detailed plan for your book, including chapters, major plot...
Marketing Your Self-Published Book to Increase Sales
Marketing is an important aspect of selling your self-published book. Here are some tips to help you effectively market your book and increase sales: Build an online presence: Create an author website or blog where readers can learn more about you and your book. Use social media platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram to connect with your audience,...
Can Lay Summaries Help Expand the Audience for Scholarly Journals?
Scholarly publishing has undergone many evolutions, but heavy technical writing and detail have always been some of the major defining differences between scholarly journals and trade publications. While both trade and scholarly publications tend to be written for specific audiences, the technical jargon featured in most scholarly publications...
Quality, Not Quantity
Most young authors—including, but not limited to, authors of scientific and scholarly articles—have one main goal in mind: Get published as much as possible. But this way of thinking is just not always helpful for someone who is looking to establish a favorable reputation in the writing and editing world—in fact, in some cases, it can actually do the exact...
Technica Attends the 18th Annual Bookmarks Festival
Early on September 23, Andy Hill, Claire Lee, and I headed to Winston-Salem for the 18th annual Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors on behalf of Technica. Bookmarks, a literary arts nonprofit, was established in 2004 in tandem with the annual Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors. The eponymous bookstore opened in 2017 in downtown Winston-Salem, NC...
Right to Read: Intellectual Freedom Panel Discussion
On Sunday, October 1, 2023, I attended the Chapel Hill Public Library’s “Right to Read: Intellectual Freedom Panel Discussion” in honor of Banned Book Week. Aside from the discussion, I also enjoyed the free snacks, a free copy of Raina Telgemeier’s Drama courtesy of Red Wine and Blue’s Banned Bookmobile, exhibit posters with statistics about banned books,...