One of the many potential benefits of the web and social media is how it can make niche communities accessible and less exclusive. Here’s an example: a couple years ago, I decided it would be cool to learn to shave with a straight razor. So I did. Entirely from the Internet. Three years later, it’s […]Read more "Learning from other blogospheres"

[I asked Pat Shepherd, Project Manager of Lerner Books UK, to share her insights from the other side of the pond.] Lerner Books UK, a new division of Lerner Publishing Group, launched February 2008. Little did anybody know just how it was going to go, but the spirits of all concerned in the US and […]Read more "From the Other Side of the Pond"

In Northanger Abbey, Catherine Morland declares, “History, real solemn history, I cannot be interested in…. The quarrels of popes and kings, with wars and pestilences in every page; the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all—it is very tiresome.” As the heroine of Jane Austen’s lighthearted novel, Catherine is a […]Read more "People’s History"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press To someone not involved with book publishing, it can come as quite a surprise to find out how long it takes to make a book. What do I mean by this? Well, this past week, we held a meeting to plan the new series we’ll be publishing in 2012. […]Read more "What’s Taking So Long?"

By Sara Hoffmann Senior Editor OK, so depending on how often you stop by our blog, you may already know that I love the aesthetics of editing. Another (closely related) thing I’m crazy about is the artful language in school & library books. A lot of people might not realize how much artistry is there. […]Read more "Artful Language"

I’ve long had an urge to watch the movie version of  Glenngarry Glen Ross again, and it’s an urge I finally satisfied last night. It put me in the mind of a blog post. No, this post isn’t going to be about how important profanity is to voice (but you could learn worse things from […]Read more "Social network sites are a little like real estate"

by Julie Harman, Production Editoraka, The Scrambler Let me just come right out and say it: I did not grow up reading comic books. Working on Graphic Universe books, I’ve had the challenge of retraining my brain to read books differently, and to see art differently. Here are a couple of tips for beginning comic […]Read more "GU Comics Day: Re-learning to Read!"

by Sarah Olmanson, Production Editor, Lerner Publishing Group; with Amelia LeBarron, Designer, Interface Graphics What makes designing a series different when working with a partner like USA TODAY? I asked this question of Amelia, the designer of two Lerner series in partnership with USA TODAY. Her answer? Branding. Working with a strong partner like USA […]Read more "Designing a Series with USA TODAY"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press From the first day of kindergarten to the day I graduated from college, I loved school. I worked hard on my assignments, and I enjoyed getting the right answers. Even in college when most of my assignments were essays, I could still take satisfaction in having the right answer […]Read more "The Right Answer"