News for Authors

Is Email Worth It?

by By Sophie McNeill|December, 2013

Lately it seems that we spend a lot of time talking about social media, and much less time on email. But with the rise of smartphones and tablets, email is more accessible than ever before. Is email still a worthwhile tool for communicating with readers? If so, how do we get the most out of it?

Read more

Holiday Haikus for Hunger

December, 2013

Random House is teaming up with Twitter this holiday season to help you spread good cheer and fight hunger with haikus! From December 12 through 31, Random House will donate one dollar (up to 2,000 dollars) to City Harvest for every holiday haiku shared on Twitter. City Harvest is a nonprofit that provides meals to hungry New Yorkers. Be sure to include the hashtag #holidayhaiku to make your tweet count.

Need some ideas? Create a haiku about a favorite holiday memory, tell friends and family how much you love them, or share a message of peace to everyone, everywhere.

The Kids Are All Right—How Teens Read [Infographic]

by By Delano Scott and Daniel Vecchitto|November, 2013

 

Teenagers are bombarded with choices over how to spend their free time, with many forms of entertainment now available on-demand. What does this mean for books, reading, and libraries?

Read more

How to Ace Your Media Interview

by Sally Marvin, with Sophie McNeill|November, 2013

Your writing may be a winner, but talking to the media can be a whole different ball game. Follow these tips to take your interview performance to the next level.

Reach Readers with Facebook Q&A

by Susan Katz|November, 2013

One of the best ways to interact with fans is to answer their questions directly. Did you know that you can easily host a Facebook Author Q&A? With 83 percent of all time online in the United States spent on Facebook (source: Comscore), the platform is a must for authors looking to build a presence and engage with readers on social media. Read on to learn about Facebook Author Q&As and tips for maximizing your presence on Facebook.

Read more

The Changing World of Children’s Picture Books

by Rachael Cole and Sophie McNeill|October, 2013

How have globalization, technology, and eBooks impacted the world of children’s illustrated books? We sat down with Rachael Cole, art director for Schwartz & Wade, to find out more.

Rachael Cole is the art director for Schwartz & Wade. Sophie McNeill is part of the Digital Marketing and Channel Development team.

Indies Talk Trends

by Milena Schmidt|October, 2013

As noted by CNN, independent bookstores have turned a corner against fierce online competition by focusing on events, community, and the personal touch. To find out how they are surviving and thriving in the digital age, we spoke with three booksellers: BookPeople in Austin, Texas; The King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, Utah; and Bank Square Books in Mystic, Connecticut. 

Read more

Flip Your Book

by Ben Steinberg and Milena Schmidt|October, 2013

Would your readers like to immerse themselves in the world of your book? Now you can help them do just that, using the online magazine platform Flipboard.

Flipboard is a news and social media aggregation platform with eighty-five million users that allows people to easily create magazines from content that is already on the web. Read more

Creating Community and Reaching New Readers: Freshman Year Reading

September, 2013

Many students around the country have dedicated time this summer to reading one book in particular: a common reading book assigned by a college or university to incoming first-year students. Over the past several years there has been a dramatic rise in the number of college and universities (now more than three hundred) that assign a common reading book—from small liberal arts colleges to large public institutions to Ivy League universities.  Read more

Behind the Scenes at Random House Studio

September, 2013

RH Studio is the brainchild of Peter Gethers, a longtime Random House editor and a writer of books, screenplays, and television series. He conceived of the Random House Films unit in 2005, as a way to expand the readership and sales potential that our publishing teams see in books they acquire, by pitching appropriate titles to partners in the theatrical film industry. Read more