News for Authors

An Introduction to Threads

by Jacky Bethea and Andrew Taets|January, 2024

In light of ongoing controversy and rapid changes at X (formerly Twitter), there has been a race in the social media market for the next big text-based platform. Threads appears to be Meta’s answer to the call. Launched in July of last year, the app has accumulated more than 100 million users. Since it is so new, there are a lot of questions around the app, how to use it, and what kind of content can be found there. Our friends at Meta have offered some of the first available pointers on how an author can optimize their experience on the app. Read on to learn more!

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The Year in Books 2023: The Stories We Share

by The Author Newsletter Team |December, 2023

To showcase some of the biggest and buzziest books of 2023, Penguin Random House is thrilled to announce the continuation of our year-end campaign tradition, The Year in Books 2023: The Stories We Share, live now!

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The Penguin Hotline Celebrates a Decade of Recommending Books

by Andrew Taets|December, 2023

The Penguin Hotline, a beloved holiday gift-giving book recommendation service, finished its tenth season on December 8, 2023. This year’s theme was “Cheers to ten years”— because for a decade now, Penguin Random House employees have had the pleasure of writing personalized book recommendations for readers (and non-readers) across the world.

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Am I Shadowbanned? A Guide to Post Ranking on Instagram

by Jacky Bethea|December, 2023

Creating content for Instagram can be time-consuming, so you’ll want to make sure your content gets in front of as many viewers as possible. Instagram’s algorithms can seem a bit unpredictable, but there are ways to improve your experience.  Read on to learn more about Instagram’s post ranking system.

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How to Prepare for a School Visit

November, 2023

School visits are a memorable way for students to learn about the power of writing stories. They are helpful for teachers because they support literacy instruction, and they are awesome for authors and illustrators because you can interact with readers. But planning a school visit can be daunting. Focus on preparation and personalization. Kids remember the special stuff that happens at school. Be sparkly!

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Now Available: Author University Videos on Demand

by The Author Newsletter Team |November, 2023

In October, the Author Portal team brought you two new Author University sessions. The recordings are now available on demand on the Author Portal for your viewing pleasure.

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Getting Started on a New Social Media Platform

by Jacky Bethea|November, 2023

There are plenty of reasons to consider making an account on a new social media platform. Maybe you’re not a social media user and would like to start, or you are at the beginning of your journey as an author and making your first audience-facing account. Maybe another platform you frequent has undergone some rapid changes and you would like to show up for your audience elsewhere. Perhaps you took our Playbook Quiz and would like to take a crack at a platform it recommended. Whether you’re trying a newer social media site or a more established one, starting out somewhere new to you can be quite the task. Here are a few tips to help you find your bearings.

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Behind the Making of a Book Cover

by Penguin Random House U. S.|September, 2023

Ever wondered what goes into the making of a book cover? Earlier this year, we shared “Evolution of a Book Cover: The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.”, a video that shows Vi-An Nguyen, art director with Penguin Publishing Group, narrating the progression of her cover options for The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr., and how she arrived at the final choice. In case you missed it, the video, created by Jonathan Masino, senior video producer on the Consumer Marketing Creative Media team, can be seen below:

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Author University x PEN America Town Hall Video Now Available

by The Author Newsletter Team |September, 2023

This summer, the Author Development team launched a special series of three Author University seminars in partnership with PEN America to address book bans, online harassment, and allyship.

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How to Reach More Readers on Goodreads

by Phil Stamper-Halpin|September, 2023

With more than 150 million members, Goodreads is the world’s largest community of readers. Read on for tips on how to reach more readers using your Goodreads Author account.

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