Instagram, Book Reviews, and You – by Elizabeth Rynecki
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January 22, 2019

Social media gives us new ways to connect with others and pursue our interests, which can include following our favorite authors, publishers, and bookstores. While it may seem an unlikely place, Instagram is one of these platforms with a rather large book-loving community. Recently, I became the new admin behind the Swenson Book Development Instagram account, but of course, there are many others in the… [Read More]

Cooking and Baking with Your Local Library
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January 8, 2019

It’s the season of New Year’s resolutions, and as the temperatures drop, what better season is there for spending time in the kitchen honing your cooking and baking skills? Whether you’re sharpening your skills for fun or as part of your career, a valuable resource available to you in your culinary endeavors is your local library. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind… [Read More]

Happy Holidays
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December 21, 2018

Happy Holidays from Swenson Book Development LLC. It’s been a wonderful year in new releases! Our next newsletter and blog will go out on New Year’s Day! Sign-up for our monthly newsletter of insider info and our bi-weekly blog about the business of being an author and the writing life. Here’s to more great books in 2019. Merry reading and happy writing.      … [Read More]

Book Festivals
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August 7, 2018

Around the country there are a variety of book festivals which bring authors and readers together. Book festivals are different than literary festivals which are intended for writers instead of readers. They are opportunities for authors to promote and market their book directly to their audience. Readers find them celebrations of their favorite books and authors with readings, signings, presentations, special events, and performances. While… [Read More]

Get Ready for UntitledTown 2018
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March 27, 2018

As the chilly air of winter continues to give way to spring sunshine, readers and writers from far and wide are gearing up for UntitledTown Book and Author Festival in Green Bay this April. A celebration of reading, writing, and the literary arts in general, the Festival occurs over the course of four days from April 19-22, and it has something for everyone, featuring “120… [Read More]

Fox Cities Reads 2018 Ruta Sepetys, Salt to the Sea
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February 20, 2018

It is a privilege to serve on the board of the Fox Cities Book Festival and it is with great excitement I can share the news about the 2018 selection for the Fox Cities Reads. Each year one book brings together the communities of the Fox Cities. This year that one book is Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. In 1945, World War II… [Read More]

What to Read or Give This Holiday Season
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December 5, 2017

Looking for something to read or gift this holiday season? Here are my book recommendations for the best of 2017. None of these titles are written by my clients. Each one of these books is something I’ve enjoyed as a reader during the last year and give you my best word-of-mouth recommendation. I read four or five books a month for pleasure and these are… [Read More]

20 Ways to Help an Author
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October 31, 2017

Whether you are a reader, aspiring author, or working on your next book, there are things YOU can do which make an enormous difference in the life of an author. The reason authors write a book is to connect with readers and the best rewards come from readers who let an author know their book had an impact. Most readers don’t know how important their… [Read More]

What are you reading?
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October 17, 2017

Will Schwalbe, author of End-of-Your-Life Book Club, recently spoke at the Fox Cities Book Festival. He read several excerpts from this wonderful new title Books for Living, a memoir of a reader. In 26 chapters, Schwalbe writes about the books which shaped his own life story. He did not intend the specific books which are chapter titles to be a reading list of either the… [Read More]

Take a Book, Leave a Book
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September 5, 2017

Linda J. Spielman’s A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the Northeast is a wonderful reference tool for the backyard enthusiast or the back-to-the-woods survivalist. Countryman Press published her book on July 4 and her distributor W.W. Norton sent a copy I donated to a Little Free Library here in Appleton, Wisconsin. Little Free Libraries began in Wisconsin and grew into a global movement based… [Read More]