New Just Broke…

We’re going to sum everything up: the APA (Audio Publishers Association) reported the rise in audiobook sales in 2018 being 24.5%!

According to Publisher’s Weekly, this is a more accurate percentage. It’s accounting for sales receipts rather than estimated sales. Over 91% of audiobook sales are coming from a digital format…we’ve entered the digital age! Kidding, we’ve been living in it for quite some time now!

The more popular genres include general fiction, mysteries/thrillers/suspense, and sci-fi/fantasy. Nonfiction sales have risen and represent 32.7% of units sold in 2018; starting with general nonfiction, history/biography/memoir, and self-help.

The age group dominating a little over 91% of sales are adults. Young adult titles increased by double digits and audiobooks geared for children rose moderately.

Production of audio has risen 5.8% from 2017!

(This report was based on figures from 20 publishers, including all Big 5 houses.)

Whipping a Blade

Urumi

• It’s a sword. It’s a whip. It’s very easy to hurt yourself when wielding this weapon.
• Before dabbling into the art of the urumi, one is supposed to have knowledge with a sword. It’s meant to be the last weapon learned in a certain type of martial arts.
• This originated in South India/Sri Lanka in the Sangam Period, or the 3rd – 5th century BCE.
• The Urumi is best used against multiple enemies, if swarmed in battle.

Hurling Questions

Not only are we a super-cool blog on the internet, talking about the ins-and-outs of publishing and writing, but we’re a literary agency, first and foremost!

Some things you may wonder about us (or agencies in general) may be misguided by other postings on the internet. It’s best to ask the source directly to find out if the match is real! This doesn’t go for us, it goes for anyone you manage to get in touch with!

1. Ask the individual you’ve made contact with how they got to where they are (in life, not your inbox.) Knowing our background helps give you perspective on our passions and how they may or may not coincide with yours.
   1. A great follow-up is asking how long we’ve been in the biz. Passion and credentials.
2. Sales are really important in this part of the business. Don’t shy away from asking. We won’t give you the nitty-gritty details but we will tell you bout some of our accomplishments as of late!
3. Before you query, ask us if we’re looking! And if we are, what are we looking for! Each agency has criteria (and posts it on their website most likely) which must be met. Realistically speaking, “The Great American Novel” is not one of them.
4. Our expertise is important to note as well. Each agency covers every aspect of publishing, but sometimes – sometimes – you’ll come across an agency that’s REALLY good at something. What is it?
5. Communication is so important to both agency and client. Get it done as soon as possible: how would you like to touch base with your agency? Establish it! Most situations now involve email, but who knows, we can set up calls, video chats, dinner and a movie (no book adaptations, thank you)…(totally joking!)

The most important thing to remember is every agency is different and the people within differ from the others you may have spoken to. It’s always good to keep an open mind to whoever you come across, inside the publishing world and out!

March Madness in Terms Of…

Audiobooks!

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♥ Ava Mason ♥

Elizabeth and the Clan of Dragons

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♥ Michael Chatfield & Dawn Chapman ♥

The Vanguard Emerges

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♥ J.R. Rasmussen ♥

The Light At Last

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♥ Kathryn Andrews ♥

Unforgettable Sun

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♥ Kip Terrington ♥

The Sleeper Must Awaken

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♥ Shannon Esposito ♥

Lady Luck Runs Out

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♥ Ahren Sanders ♥

Heartthrob

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♥ Bobbi Holmes ♥

The Ghost of Second Chances

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♥ Cassie-Ann L. Miller ♥

Lover Boy

So Many Hours, So Little Time…

If you missed it, here’s the recap!

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♥ London Casey & Jaxson Kidman ♥

Books 2-5 of the St. Skin Series

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♥ Cecilia Lane ♥

Dangerous Mate

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♥ Christy Pastore ♥

Wicked Gentleman

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♥ J. New ♥

An Accidental Murder

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♥ Layla Frost ♥

Best Kase Scenario

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♥ Meg Anne ♥

Crown of Embers

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♥ Nicole French ♥

Legally Ours

Gather Round!

On last week’s episode of Keeping Up With the Audio…

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♥ B.R. Kingsolver ♥

Witches’ Brew: Dark Streets, Book 3

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♥ Bree Livingston ♥

Her Broken Billionaire Boss

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♥ Elizabeth Knox ♥

Here Kitty, Kitty

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♥ Kathryn Andrews ♥

Starless Nights

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♥ Maria Luis ♥

Body Check

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♥ Kristin Mayer ♥

Changed by You

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♥ Bobbi Holmes ♥

The Ghost and the Doppelganger

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♥ Katerina Martinez & Tansey Morgan ♥

Hellfire and Homicide

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♥ Kestra Pingree ♥

Saving the Werewolves

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♥ Krista Wolf ♥

Quadruple Duty

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♥ Lucy Smoke ♥

Heart of Tartarus

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♥ R.K. Lander ♥

Road of a Warrior

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♥ Shannon Esposito ♥

Karma’s a Bitch

The One, The Only: Sphinx

Androsphinx | Egypt

Living statue with a lion body and human head, tells riddles.

• Although labeled from Egypt, the sphinx as a whole can be found in many other countries, one being Greece. Since we’re so accustomed to the Great Sphinx of Giza, we tend to forget there are others out there.
• This particular interpretation is symbolized as the incarnation of the Sun God, Ra.
• More commonly seen with a lion’s body, it can be found to have a ram or even a hawk’s head. They each have different names and different origin tales!
• The sphinx is seen as the protector of the land it watches. The body of the sphinx never changes but each head resembles that of what it protects. So, the androsphinx, compared to that of a Pharaoh…watched over the people.
• Depending on where you are or which one you’re researching, the sphinx can be seen as a monster or keeper of knowledge. You choose which interpretation you decide to pursue

Hopeless [Audio] Romantic

On last week’s episode of Keeping Up With the Audio…

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♥ Judy Corry ♥

My Second Chance

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♥ Katerina Martinez & Tansey Morgan ♥

Scions and Sorcery

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♥ Nicole French ♥

Legally Mine

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♥ Beth Labonte ♥

Pumpkin Everything

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♥ Cecilia Lane ♥

Forbidden Mate

This Week! (& Last Week!)

It’s been awhile since we’ve updated everyone on our recently published audio. This post is to serve as an update for the last couple of weeks, but things are going to be a bit different…

We’re going to start re-directing you to where the audio books can be purchased!

Without further ado, here they are!

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♥ Bree Livingston ♥

Her Second Chance Billionaire Boyfriend

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♥ Eva Chase ♥

Falling For Gods

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♥ Ivy Layne ♥

Unraveled

Compromising the Billionaire

The Counterfeit Billionaire

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♥ BJ Harvey ♥

Third Strike

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♥ London Lovett ♥

Death in the Park

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♥ RK Lander ♥

Path of a Novice

Jumping Through Time

A story can include one of two things: flashbacks or skipping to the future. We don’t think recommending the two is a great idea but if executed cohesively…sure! Why not! Let’s discuss.

Sometimes, writing flashbacks can help a story flesh itself out. Readers understand the plot better, the character better, ANYTHING! But what happens when a flashback becomes more than a flash back? Meaning, what happens when a brief moment takes up a whole chapter? Is that acceptable? There isn’t any reason why it shouldn’t be acceptable – other than not being written properly. Make sure flashbacks are quick and easy. They’re meant to be memories triggered by people or items or occurrences surrounding the character or plot. Here’s an idea: it doesn’t necessarily have to be written in the perspective where the character is brought back to a moment in time…but rather, induces a feeling, an image flashed in the character’s thoughts. Something like that.

Skipping ahead in time is also a way to get the story moving along. Readers don’t need all filler details and a story doesn’t deserve that either! A few months can pass in the story in a matter of words, as long as the reader is caught up with the characters and ongoings in their world, what else is needed? Questions should never be left unanswered, too. If they are, there better be good reason for it. Did something happen prior to the time hop that wasn’t resolved during the time not mentioned? Well, it better come full circle because then the reader will not be happy (they’ll scream, “PLOT HOLE, PLOT HOLE!” and write a whole review about how the plot hole ruined the story for them.)

So, now that we’ve lectured about time and the relationship it has with your story – let’s build a time machine and have some fun!