Friday Links: The Visual Side of Book Publishing

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful week and are ready for a weekend of reading and writing, or perhaps some creative time to spark your imagination and refill that well. A good chunk of the northeastern U.S. seems to be battening down for the first snow storm of the winter, and all I can say to that is it’s perfect weather for a cup of hot chocolate and a good book. Stay warm, or cool, wherever you are, and take a little time for yourself and your goals.

All of that said, I have a bit of an art theme going on this week for Friday Links. It wasn’t intentional, but sometimes these things just develop over the course of the week. Not all the links are art-related, of course, but I think you’ll see what I mean. It’s a bit of a different look at the world of publishing, so I hope you enjoy.

By the Cover: Meet Will Staehle, Freelance Designer – A look at the work of a freelance book designer, formerly the Art Director at HarperCollins.

A Brief History of Book Illustration – Pretty much what it says.

R.I.P: Select Literary Obituaries from 2015 – A good round-up, and for reference if you’re looking to see whose work you might have missed reading.

Whom Do You Write For? ‘Pandering’ Essay Sparks a Conversation – NPR conversation between Clare Vaye Watkins and Marlon James that follows up on Watkins’s somewhat controversial essay for Tin House. A very interesting look at the writing process, and the audience a writer considers inside their head while they work.

Meet Jill Weber, artist and book illustrator/designer. In this short video (intended as a promo for a recent class at Sketchbook Skool), she shares a tiny handmade book she created to tell the story of her garden. A charming look at one of the amazing, creative forms books can take.

Friday Links

Happy Friday! How’s 2014 treating you so far? Getting things off to a good start? Personally, I’ve been working on getting back up to full speed. Coming off a longish holiday break is always difficult, but it’s good to stretch all my various muscles — mental and physical — and get back on track.

I’ve a pretty diverse assortment of links for you this week, including book lists, some business information, and beautiful book-related artwork. Wishing you a wonderful weekend, filled with reading and writing and whatever else is on your to-do list for the next few days. Enjoy!

2014 YA Fiction Preview – A list of upcoming titles for the first half of the year.

15 Fantastically Artistic Alternate Covers for Famous Books – Some interesting new looks.

When Books Enter Public Domain Around the World – A handy map proving copyright limits around the world.

28 Beautiful Quotes about Libraries – Along with some gorgeous library photographs. Makes me yearn to go on a pilgrimage.

Gorgeous Jane Austen Novel Illustrations from the Time before Adaptations – Recently released into the public domain, these illustrations date back to 19th century editions of Austen’s famous works.

Friday Links

Lots of links today, ranging from writing tips to new book releases. I hope you all find something here to entertain you.

But links aside, I want you all to go do something this weekend that you’ve been putting off. Some fun outing or adventure that you think about but are always too busy for. I lost a dear friend recently. He was just 41, and left behind a wife and 17-month-old little boy. Life is so very short, and we have no idea what’s in store for us. I realize people say this all the time, but I’m adding my voice to the chorus. Make time for yourself this weekend. Seize your life.

Broca’s Area Style Guide: The ’10 Mistakes’ List – A great check list of things to work on while polishing your writing.

Fiction Affliction: October’s Releases in Fantasy and in Urban Fantasy – A nice round up of new books in the fantasy/urban fantasy genres, courtesy of Tor.

Drawing Verse – A lovely profile of poet Bianca Stone, who is also an artist producing “poetry comics.”

How to Write a Better About Page for Your Website – Geared toward entrepreneurial sites, but applicable to anyone with an about page who markets themselves and/or their work.

On Cultivating Instinct as an Ink-slinging, Story-spinning Pen-monkey Type – Tips from Chuck Wendig. Just read.