Hello friends, and happy Friday! This week I've got a few long reads (long but worth it) and a few short, just for fun things. A Tale of Literary Crime When we think crime spree we often think bank robberies or jewel heists. While rare books aren’t often depicted as objects of desire in heist films, they are indeed valued commodities. So if you’ve ever wished for a crime story with books at the centre, this Atlas Obscura article on library thief Robert Kindred is just the thing for you. The Effects of Skim Reading on the Brain Nowadays there are lots of ways to read thanks to technology. But reading on screens may be changing how we read and our ability to absorb what we’ve read. According t

Welcome back to our final installment of How to Successfully Launch a Book! We are now down to R-Day and… It’s a Party! It’s time to celebrate all your hard work! Break out the confetti, invite all your friends, family and local media and whoop it up. (Coming soon…a post with some tips for planning a kick-ass launch party!) But before the first champagne cork is popped… Send your list a launch day newsletter Remind your keen readers that the book they’ve been waiting for is now on sale! Pro Tip: If you have a publisher, ask them to send one to their list as well. At Common Deer Press, we automatically send out emails, as well as posts on our social platforms, to celebrating the launch.

Hello everyone and welcome back to Around the Web, the blog series where I share some of the most interesting, fun, or helpful things I’ve read around the internet this week. The Hugo Awards As many of you may know, the Hugo Awards were announced on Sunday. N.K. Jemisin won a unprecedented third consecutive award for best novel. If you’re a fan of hers or of SFF, check out her acceptance speech in which she discusses overcoming marginalization, setbacks, and rejections to claim a rightful seat at the literary table. It’s an empowering speech that speaks of hope even amidst all the hardships of today’s political climate. Tracking Down Forgotten Books If you’ve ever remembered a minor detail a

Hello again, and welcome back to this series on How to Successfully Launch a Book. With only two months to R-Day we are getting down to the short strokes in the book launch process! Two Months to Launch Send out review copies Now is the time to send print books and digital ARCs to those bloggers and librarians interested in reviewing. Include such ‘swag’ as themed bookmarks or printed character cards. Prepare a reader guide If you haven’t already done so, prepare a reader guide for your book. Depending on your book, these will be appropriate for teachers/teacher librarians or book clubs. Prepare creative graphics Start preparing and releasing creative graphics that can be used on postcards o

Hey folks, I hope you've been having a fantastic week. And I hope I can make it even more fantastic with some interesting links from around the web. Writing Outside Your Experience There is something to the advice “write what you know,” but sometimes there are reasons you might want to write outside of your own lived experience. This should be approached with sensitivity and caution. You don't want to take opportunities from marginalized people, do harm, or cause offense. Luckily, there are folks out there who have some tips for writing cross-culturally. Share Your Rejection Submitting your work can be scary, so rejections can be really disheartening. #ShareYourRejection took off on Twitter

We are delighted to announce another opportunity for readers to meet Kat Hawthorne, author of The Boatman! Signing at Coles, Masonville in London Date: September 15th, 2018 Time: 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Location: 1680 Richmond Street London, ON N6G 3Y9

Happy Monday, everyone and welcome back to our four-part series, How to Successfully Launch a Book. We are now in the mid-stretch and there is lots to cover in the next two months of the ramp up to launch! So, without further ado, let’s get started. 4 months prior to launch Compile a list of bookstores and libraries in your area so that you can start setting up book signings and appearances. Start compiling a list of book bloggers who might be interested in reviewing your book. This is also the time (if you are indie published) to start looking for a printer who can do short runs of your Advance Reader Copies (ARC’s) at a reasonable cost. Keep in mind that short print runs can be expensive—

Hello everyone! We’re back again to share some links from Around the Web. Check them out and share what you’ve been reading this week in the comments. Writing Habits Some rules are made to be broken, especially writing rules. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of them. At least then you’re knowingly breaking them, right? Submittable has a list of ten writing habits to avoid that’s worth taking a look at. They might just give you some ideas for improving your own writing. Online Book Clubs As someone who’s missed book club because taking the thirty minute bus ride just seemed like too much, I can appreciate a good online book club. If you haven’t found a group of similarly inclined

Hello, everyone! Here at Common Deer Press, we are already deep in our pre-launch promotions for our three December releases. So, how to successfully launch a book is at the top of my mind for sharing with the readers of this blog. It’s a six-month process for us, and there is a fair amount of material to cover just that’s author related (it doesn’t include what a publisher could be doing on your behalf). To break it down into manageable chunks, the content will be split into four blog posts. At the end, there will be a nifty one-page checklist for you to download. Even if you are traditionally-published author, it’s important to supplement your publisher’s marketing campaigns with your own

We've got another exciting event lined up for you! A.T. Balsara will be at Indigo Oshawa on August 12, 2018 for a reading and signing of The Great & the Small. Reading and Signing Date: August 12, 2018 Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: Indigo Oshawa 419 King Street, West, Unit #1135, Oshawa

Hello everyone! It’s August already and I can hardly believe it. The days are going by so fast that I keep wondering how it’s possible. And then I look at the books I’ve read and a browser history full of book news, literary analysis, and social media conversations and I realize that’s where all my time has gone! Oh well, time enjoyed is not wasted time. So here’s some links I hope you’ll enjoy. Diversity in YA books We’ve been hearing about the need for diverse books for a while now, right? And while we’ve seen blockbuster books from authors of colours and some diverse characters appearing in fiction, we’re not quite there yet. According to the Guardian, a new study on YA lit has shown the