Jen Arena
@jenarena.bsky.social
Kids book author and kids book editor Check out some of my books! Acorn Was a Little Wild (S&S), Besos for Baby (Little Brown), GIVE (Knopf), Marta! Big and Small (Roaring Brook) agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox jenarenabooks.com
Wow! "Today is August 4, 2026," said a second voice from the kitchen ceiling.
Lisa DeBruine@debruine.bsky.social · 2d agoToday is the only day you can experience Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains” on the day it is set. Audio: archive.org/details/brad... PDF: thephilosopher.net/bredberi/wp-...
www.thebookseller.com/news/genius-... Oh here we go again... In the US, AI generated text is not subject to copyright so publishers have no reason to "buy" it. It's public domain.
‘Genius’ novel sold in six and seven-figure deals at auction pulled over suspected AI use
A crime novel has been pulled from sale by an agent after securing major six- and seven-figure deals in the US and the UK due to AI allegations.
thebookseller.com
Publishing is a roller coaster. At the end of May, I find out one of my picture books is going out of print. 😔 At the end of July, I find out they are doing a board book edition of it! 😊 I've seen the board book cover, and it's even prettier than the original. ❤️📚 I'll post it when I can.
Writers of the Great Cambridge Area! Don't forget to apply for the 2027 Writers in Residence program. One writer for adults and one writer for young readers will be selected to get some cool benefits, while fulfilling some responsibilities that we hope help develop their careers!
Porter Square Books Writers in Residence Program
Porter Square Books will once again be hosting Writers in Residence in 2025
portersquarebooks.com
I'm so excited! Tampa has a new independent bookstore, BookEnds Ybor--and it's glorious! The owners have taken such care making it a beautiful and welcoming place. I know this will be a wonderful gathering spot for the neighborhood. Plus they carry my books!
These covers of the Anne and Emily books are gorgeous! I wish I had room in my suitcase for eleven books so I could bring them all home with me. ❤️📚
Lots of good advice here! I particularly like "Trends are over as soon as you know about them. . . . If you start writing a book to a trend when you see a bunch already published, you're up to five years behind the curve."
Kate McKean@katemckean.bsky.social · last mo."If you can’t tell me what your book is about, then a reader can’t tell their friends why they should read it." --> that's just one of the things I've learned in my twenty years being a literary agent. The other 19 are here: www.agentsandbooks.com/20-things-i-...
Dingle is one of my favorite towns in Ireland--and I love their little bookstore!
Gen X, 👀 ! Were you a punk, a preppy, a Jane Fonda acolyte? Did you have a perm, a flattop, a Mohawk? Could you solve a Rubik's Cube in under two minutes? Do you want to share all that wild '80s joy with the kids in your life? Check out My Little Golden Book About the 80s, available TODAY!
Yes! In my mind, AI = scam. "If you can’t get it together to write a simple business communication by yourself, what confidence should I have about any other aspect of your business?"
John Scalzi@scalzi.com · 2mo agoOver on Whatever, I talk about the legit business email I got that was written with "AI," why I thought it meant the sender's domain was hacked by scammers, and why using "AI" in business emails automatically lumps you in with scammers and frauds. Don't do it! whatever.scalzi.com/2026/06/11/p...
If you love the 80s, here's your chance to share that magical decade with kids in your life--My Little Golden Book About the 80s is coming out next week! I had the BEST time researching and writing this book. It was a dream project. And Spencer Wilson's art? Totally awesome.
My inner Bridget Jones is very happy right now. For years, I've read about Milk Trays in Brit Lit books, and I finally bought one on this trip to Ireland. It feels so decadent! But it was on sale at Tesco, so I kind of had to, right? And no, I can't . . . won't eat the whole thing in one sitting.
Because bookstores are the best place to hang out. ❤️
That Librarian: Amanda Jones@librarianjones.com · 2mo ago“The decline actually ended years ago, and the latest numbers from the American Booksellers Association show independent stores expanding at a pace not seen this century.” abcnews.com/Business/wir...
Shout out to Story Garden in St. Pete! Congrats on making the list in your first year!
Children's Bookshelf@pwkidsbookshelf.bsky.social · 3mo agoAmerica’s 10 Best Children’s Bookstores | Fodor's
I went out to hear some music last night and my dog's boyfriend was there! She usually plays a little hard to get with him, but they had a real date night, side by side, begging for treats, enjoying the show. ❤️ 🐕🦺
Thinking of "crud" and the time I went to a young kids publishing meet-up. Someone from Harper asked about my job. I proudly told her I was an assistant editor at Grosset & Dunlap, a mass market imprint. She literally turned up her nose and said, "Oh. You do merch." I was gutted.
we all in his business have a choice. we can strive to make the literature better by opening doors and lifting people up, or we can diminish and demean it, make it smaller. I believe the first centers the reader, the second centers ourselves.
In conjunction with Children’s Book Week, May 4–10, Chronicle is once again opening its slush pile to unagented children’s book creators
Chronicle Opens Slush Pile to Celebrate Children’s Book Week
In conjunction with Children’s Book Week, May 4–10, the San Francisco-based publisher is opening its slush pile to unagented children’s book creators.
buff.ly
Yesterday I took a tour of the National Library of Ireland in Dublin. These photos are from the Readers' Room. Isn't it beautiful? @nlireland.bsky.social
I was just talking to a friend today about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - new books every month, totally for free, for kids ages 1-5. My son was part of the program - this is a copy of the letter that came with his last book, right after his 5th birthday.
Any Chronicle authors out there? I just logged into the Statement Portal for the first time and I can't seem to find sales figures anywhere, just the dollar amount that I've been paid in royalties. What am I doing wrong?
Dublin has so many fantastic bookstores, but this might be my favorite! Books Upstairs has a great selection of books and a wonderful cafe. (Ironically the books are downstairs and the cafe upstairs.) I recommend the carrot cake--and love the no laptops policy. They ask you to read a book instead.📚
This is an encouraging post, and true in my case, too. I've had manuscripts that I've put in a drawer until something changed--editors, the market, or me.
Jennifer Laughran@literaticat.bsky.social · 5mo agoAn author is worried that their book might "die on submission" and wanted a pep talk. Here's why I hate that phrase, and also case studies, and also a pep talk! It's not that it hasn't happened. It just hasn't happened YET. YET: YOU'RE ELIGIBLE, TOO. www.tumblr.com/literaticat/...
This is a great way to celebrate the return of flamingos to Florida! 🦩🌴 www.popsci.com/environment/...
Florida finally makes the flamingo its state bird
Bye bye mockingbird.
popsci.com
I know @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social keeps a list of freelance editors for hire. Does anyone know of a similar list of freelance designers? A friend of my sister is looking to self-publish a picture book. www.ericsmithrocks.com/blog/tag/Fre...
Freelance — Blog — ERIC SMITH
ericsmithrocks.com
This is a really great post. I'm bookmarking it to share with people who ask me about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.
Kate McKean@katemckean.bsky.social · 5mo agoWhy I didn't self-publish all the books I wrote that didn't find a publisher. www.agentsandbooks.com/why-i-didnt-... #booksky
I've been in many amazing overstuffed bookstores all over the world, but I've never seen anything like Red Books in Wexford, Ireland. ☘️📚
