Bestselling author William Bernhardt discusses the latest news from the worlds of books and publishing, then interviews Jennifer Lynn Barnes, a young adult author and expert on the psychology of fiction.

News Items:
1) Controversy surrounding a poet accused of plagiarizing portions of a Pushcart-nominated poem--and why you must be careful that the words you publish are your own.
2) Findaway Voices, which helps authors produce their own audiobooks, improves its royalty rates.
3) The two leading book wholesalers may soon become one. Ingram contemplates the purchase of Baker & Taylor.
4) Controversy fuels books sales. In the midst of the furor over the current presidential administration, political book sales are at an all-time high. Could you stimulate sales by courting controversy in your next novel?

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a multi-published young adult author (Little White Lies), a Fulbright scholar, and a Ph.D. in Psychology with degrees from Cambridge and Yale. Her work on the psychology of fiction has led to some fascinating and useful insights into why people read fiction and how to make your own fiction more appealing to readers. She discusses specific tropes that people love to find in fiction. She also advocates that writers develop an "Id List," specific plot lines, plot devices, settings, and other elements that make writing more joyful. If those items bring you joy they will likely do the same for readers, which will increase the appeal of your books.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of many experts invited (not invented, oops) to speak at WriterCon 2019. For more information about this annual writers conference, visit writercon.org. Register before the end of 2018 and use the promo code EARLYBIRD for a $50 discount.

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For more information about William Bernhardt, visit: www.williambernhardt.com