Riot New Media

Bloomsbury Acquires Debut YA Fiction Title From Author and Social Media Influencer Lex Croucher 

Bloomsbury has acquired the “witty, romantic” debut YA fiction novel Gwen and Art Are Not in Love from author and social media influencer Lex Croucher. US rights were sold to the St Martin’s Press imprint Wednesday Books. The novel is set during medieval times and follows the story of four queer nobles trying to navigate an unaccepting kingdom. Hannah Sandford, senior commissioning editor at Bloomsbury, said, “Gwen and Art Are Not in Love knocked my jousting socks off. It is the witty, romantic, melodramatic, queer medieval YA romp that we all need in our lives. Lex’s writing is endlessly funny, inventive, brave, poignant, a breath of fresh air.” Gwen and Art Are Not in Love will publish in March 2023.

Denne Michele Norris Named Electric Literature‘s Editor-in-Chief

Denne Michele Norris will take the helm as Electric Literature’s new editor-in-chief, starting on August 10. Norris succeeds Jess Zimmerman, who has held the role since 2017. The independent publisher’s executive director, Halimah Marcus, praised former editor-in-chief Zimmerman for making the Electric Literature “more forward-thinking, expansive, and successful,” and said that she is “excited to see Denne carry that torch… while bringing her own unique sensibility and passions to the role.” Norris will be “the first Black and openly trans editor-in-chief of a major U.S. literary publication.”

Bouchercon Calls Off This Month’s In-Person Convention

Bouchercon, the annual mystery fiction convention, had planned to hold a live convention this August in New Orleans. However, due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the convention has been canceled. Registrants were e-mailed last week to be informed of the cancelation. Full refunds are being offered for registration fees.

How Much Do Ratings and Reviews on Goodreads Affect Book Sales?

Our contemporary world is practically run by online reviews, from platforms like Yelp, eBay, Amazon, and Letterboxd… and of course, Goodreads. But how much do ratings and reviews on Goodreads affect book sales? Let’s look at the numbers.

TikTok Users Launch Virtual BookTalk Conference

TikTok users launched the inaugural BookTalk conference this weekend, a virtual event that shines a spotlight on marginalized authors of young adult literature and their books. The event includes panels and author events, and it’s not too late to check it out, all for free!

Romance Writers Of America Was Doing Better With Race — Until A Recent Award Choice

After the reckoning that the Romance Writers of America faced last year regarding race, the organization reorganized and re-named their highest literary honor the Vivian, named after RWA founder Vivian L. Stephens, a Black woman who founded multiple romance lines in the 70’s and 80’s. But this year, the Vivian in “Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements” went to a book that glorified genocide. The award was eventually rescinded after a huge outcry, but it’s left many thinking that RWA hasn’t changed all that much.

First Look: Emily Henry’s Next Novel Goes Meta — Really Meta

For all you Emily Henry fans out there, get ready for a new romance dropping next May! The author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation has returned to her literary roots with another bookish duo for her next book, Book Lovers. It follows a literary agent who needs a break, and heads to a small town for a vacation, only to be followed by an editor. EW has first look at the cover, and an excerpt!

Laurence Fishburne to Produce Sag Harbor Series

Colson Whitehead’s 2009 novel Sag Harbor is now being adapted into a series with actor Laurence Fishburne serving as executive producer. The new HBO Max series follows the story of Benji Cooper, a Black teenager who spends the summer of 1985 with his family at a town in the Hamptons. The first episode in the series will be written by playwright and actor Daniel “Koa” Beaty. Beaty will also serve as an executive producer on the project alongside Fishburne, Whitehead, Katie O’Connell Marsh, and Helen Sugland. “Colson is a once-in-a-generation author who has the unique ability to craft beautiful and authentic stories that captivate and transform readers, and Sag Harbor is a true expression of that gift,” O’Connell Marsh said. “We’re thrilled to be working with HBO Max, Cinema Gypsy and Koa to bring this coming-of-age story to the screen.”

11 Year-Old Simeon Hudson Writes Book to Help Stop Bullying

After fourth grader Simeon Hudson saw a friend being bullied at school and called a “nerd,” he knew he wanted to do something about it. And so Simeon wrote a book to help stop bullying. With the help of his mother Candace Hudson, Simeon wrote Harry and His Big Nose, which is now available for purchase. “It took us about a year and then COVID slowed us down, so it took a while. It took about until I was in the sixth grade to get it out,” Simeon said. He and his mother are now working on making the book the first of the series. The next book will be entitled Harry and His Hygiene.

Kansas City Public Library Hires Dedicated Wikipedian-in-Residence

The Kanas City Public Library has hired Miranda Pratt as “the first Wikipedian-In-Residence appointed by a public library in the United States.” Pratt’s position in the library is to be an advocate for the community. Her job is to build awareness and increase engagement in Kansas City surrounding the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia.org. “With this position, I’m kind of creating community awareness that we can all write our history together on Wikipedia,” Pratt said in an interview.

Here Are All the New Suicide Squad Characters

The Suicide Squad, with all-new Suicide Squad characters, is now playing in theaters and on HBO Max. Here are all of the new characters featured in the movie!