See what some of our authors tell us they are reading this summer. Cathryn Prince, author of American Daredevil: The Extraordinary Life of Richard Halliburton, the World’s First Celebrity Travel Writer (Chicago Review Press, June 1, 2016) Ulysses S. Grant: Memoirs and Selected Letters by Ulysses S. Grant End of Watch  by Stephen King  A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny Ira Rabois, author of the forthcoming Compassionate Critical Thinking: How Mindfulness, Creativity, Empathy, and Socratic Questioning Can Transform Teaching (Rowman & Littlefield, September 30, 2016) Siddhartha’s Brain: Unlocking the Ancient Science of Enlightenment by James Kingsland. Who Rules the World by Noam Chomsky Elizabeth Rynecki, author of forthcoming Chasing Portraits: A Great-Granddaughter’s Quest for Her Lost Art Legacy (Penguin Random House, September 6, 2016) Syrian Dust: Reporting From the Heart of the War by Francesca Borri The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North Carolyn Porter, author of forthcoming Marcel’s Letters (Skyhorse, Spring 2017) Angels of the Underground: The American Women Who Resisted the Japanese in the Philippines in World War II by Theresa Kaminski Lighthouse Road: A Novel by Peter Geye    Elaine Mansfield, author of Leaning into Love: A Spiritual Journey Through Grief (Larson Publication, October 2014) Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer Crossing the Owl’s Bridge: A Guide for Grieving People Who Still Love by Kim Bateman On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image by Ann Baring and Jules Cashford Tina Peterson, author of Oscar and the Amazing Gravity Repellent (Capstone, September…

Awards and prizes can be a fantastic complement to an author’s credibility, marketing strategy, and overall “brand.” The urge to apply for as many as possible is quite tempting. Yet when your book is newly published and you are considering the many choices, it is wise to step back and make an informed decision. Rather than send out of a flood of submissions, make a careful selection of appropriate awards and put your energy into those select few. Here is some advice on applying for book awards and prizes. Avoid prize mills. If the prize is $500 and the entry fee is $50, then this may not be a wise choice. Every good writing organization and publication offers lists of prizes and awards that have been vetted. Look at Poets & Writers and Goodreads. If you are a member of the SCBWI or Military Writers Society of America, there are prizes and awards specifically for you. Same for romance and thriller. Grants, fellowships, and residencies can also be worth applying for. Look into your state associations. There are arts councils, regional awards, and state library awards. Be as specific as possible. The big name, general awards are alluring, but your chances are much higher when you submit to the more specific categories. Consider those within your genre or age group. Also, consider prizes for first time published authors, women authors, or by region. Read the rules. No matter what is requested, follow the rules to the letter. When there are…

In the modern publishing world, there are many new challenges authors face in promoting their books, but there are also many new avenues to aid in digital marketing of forthcoming releases. NetGalley provides a resource for authors and publishers to accumulate quality reviews from relevant readers, an essential pre-publishing marketing step. Strong early praise from a notable reviewer can draw in significantly more readers once a title is released. Rather than sending galleys the traditional way (an advance review copy right to a reviewer’s doorstep) NetGalley offers promotion through digital galleys, which eradicates the costs of printing and shipping. When a publisher or author establishes an account with NetGalley, the titles they post become available to NetGalley’s network of what they call “professional readers,” or book reviewers, journalists, bloggers, librarians, and others in the book world who can access and review these titles for free. Since many of the reviewers are already involved in book promotion, a glowing review could also lead to further collaboration and marketing opportunities down the road. When professional readers look for titles to review, they can search by publisher or by title or browse by genre. When they find a title of interest and submit a request for a digital galley, the corresponding owner can decide if there is a good fit based on the reader’s member profile. Authors or publishers must approve all galley requests before readers can receive them. And beyond NetGalley’s expansive network, they can also send requests for review to contacts within their own…