Lastest Articles

The Time Arthur Conan Doyle Helped Solve a Real Murder Case

From Publishers Weekly… It was one of the most sensational crimes—and most scandalous wrongful convictions—of the 20th century, a case that would be known as the Scottish Dreyfus affair. It involved a savage murder, stolen jewels, an international manhunt and a wily maidservant who went to her grave knowing far more about the killing than she would ever disclose. Even […]

AudioBooks up 23%

Audiobooks continued their meteoric rise in 2017, a new report issued by the Audio Publishers Association found, with another year of double-digit growth for both audiobook sales and title output. Total sales rose 22.7% in 2017, to an estimated $2.5 billion, over an estimated $2.1 billion in sales in 2016. Unit sales rose an estimated 21.5%, the APA reported. Sales […]

B&N Losing in 2018Q2

Total sales at Barnes & Noble fell 6.0% in the fiscal year ended April 28, 2018, compared to fiscal 2017, and the retailer posted a net loss of $125.5 million last year, compared to net income of $22.0 million in fiscal 2017. Revenue last year was $3.66 billion, down from $3.89 billion in fiscal 2017. The net loss includes a […]

Alexa – Stephen King – Recommendation Library

Is this a thing? Why Only Stephen King? If it were a larger library, would it be more interesting? Beginning today, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant users in the U.S.and Canada will be able to download a free “Stephen King Library” onto their smart speaker platforms, Simon & Schuster has announced. The library will recommend King books tailored to users’ […]

Apple Unveils New Book App

With the forthcoming release of its new operating system for phones and tablets, iOS 12, Apple is signaling a new emphasis on digital book and audiobook sales. The new operating system, set to hit in the fall, will replace Apple’s long-serving iBooks app with a new Apple Books app. The new e-book app will, according to Apple, offer an enhanced […]

Greg Smith Featured on the Hero’s Forge Podcast

https://www.theheroforge.org/podcast/2017/7/20/episode-027-greg-smith Greg Smith is based in Richmond, Virginia and is the creator of the Agile Writer Method which is a model to help writers move from their initial idea to publication in just 6 months using Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, insights from the field of psychology and some project management wizardry.He is also a co-creator and contributor to the ‘Reel Heroes’ […]

The Bar is Set Low – Very Low

I am lucky to coach some very talented new writers. They all come to me with an idea for a story and their main question is always the same: “Is this story any good?” The fact is that any story can use improvement. What I offer is structure: both in the form of the story and in getting it done. […]

Agile Writer featured on local show

Richmond, VA – Agile Writer Jackie Hunter, a retired teacher and elementary school administrator, will be a special guest on the next broadcast of “Love, Light and Positivity”. Hosted by Richmond personality, Yemaja Jubilee, the television episode will air at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11th. Viewers may tune in on local public access channels, Comcast (Channel 95) and Verizon […]

Agile Writer Keith Van Allen Releases New Novel

Ezekiel Saw a Wheel is a Sci-Fi Suspense Magical Realism novel by animator director Keith Van Allen, about an excentric cartoonist, Zeke Landover who’s convinced he and his family were once abducted by aliens. What he finds out is far more startling, and his cartoon characters agree with him! A surrealistic romp through the back roads and towns of historic […]