Welcome to your Sunday morning news, writers ! Get your coffee or tea, and settle in for this week’s fresh links.

Happy reading!

Writing for Publication—Queries and Submissions:

• QUITE THE QUERY: Kim Chance and KEEPER via Amy Trueblood: A successful YA contemporary fantasy query.

Writing for Publication—Book Marketing and Social Media:

• Three Reasons Why Your Blog Isn’t Growing via Create If Writing: Things to consider if your blog isn’t gaining followers.
• WordPress For Writers: 10 Most Useful Plugins For Your Author Website via The Creative Penn: Amp up your author website with these useful plugins.

Author Interviews:

• Author Of The Week: Chat with Jodi Meadows (Before She Ignites), Plus Giveaway!! via YA Books Central: Interview with Jodi Meadows, author of Before She Ignites.
• Author Chat with Adam Silvera (They Both Die At The End)! via YA Books Central: Interview with Adam Silvera about his latest novel.
• Author Chat with Steve Schafer (The Border) via YA Books Central: Interview with Steve Schafer, author of The Border.
• ‘Young People Who Do Extraordinary Things’ Are The Norm In Marie Lu’s YA World via NPR: Interview with Marie Lu, author of Warcross.
• 14 Authors Discuss Identity, Revisiting the Past, and More in September’s YA Open Mic via The B&N Teen Blog: YA authors discuss everything from stolen homes to adoption.
• Must-read YA paranormal romance: ‘Black Bird of the Gallows’ by Meg Kassel (and interview!) via YA Books Central: Interview with Meg Kassel on her YA novel.

Adventures in YA Publishing Author Interviews:

• Steve Schafer, author of THE BORDER, on tapping into a deeper, more meaningful side of himself
• Calla Devlin, author of RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME, on sharing your voice and story
• Tawni Waters, author of THE LONG RIDE HOME, on answering answering the question “What happens next?”
• K.M. Walton, editor of BEHIND THE SONG, on music having the power to bring people together
• Heather T. Smith, author of THE AGONY OF BUN O’KEEFE, on listening to feedback
• Emily Ziff Griffin, author of LIGHT YEARS, on being happiest when writing
• Wendelin Van Draanen, author of WILD BIRD, on learning things about yourself from your characters

Literary Agent News and Interviews:

• September Featured Agent – Thao Le – Part One Interview via Kathy Temean: Part one in an interview series with literary agent Thao Le.

Writing and Pitch Contests:

• September 2017 Contest Roundup via Sub It Club: A round-up of upcoming writing contests.

Writing Craft:

• Is Your Protagonist Too Lucky? A guest post by Janice Hardy via Middle Grade Mafia: Making sure your protagonist isn’t so lucky that it feels like your plot is contrived. 
• Tell Me What You Want: Uncovering Your Character’s Driving Motivation via NaNoWriMo: Deciding what your character wants and how it will propel the plot of your whole novel.
• WoW: Setting as Catalyst and Mirror by Katherine Locke via Adventures in YA Publishing: How to use your setting to its fullest, and spark changes in your characters.
• The Art of Story Seduction—From Spark to Romance, Climax to Commitment via Kristen Lamb: How bonding with a great story is like dating.

Writing Inspiration:

• Staying Focused as a Creative, and When You Maybe Shouldn’t via Go Teen Writers: Dealing with “shiny object syndrome,” where you chase new ideas instead of working on one and finishing it.
• There’s Hope For You, Struggling Writers (And Here’s Proof) via The Write Practice: A true story of bad writing, perseverance, and why you shouldn’t give up.

Publishing News & Trends:

• Reaching YA Readers Where They Are: Online via Publishers Weekly: A number of publishers are finding new ways to connect with teens—and adults—who read YA.

New YA E-Book Deals:

• Epic Reads Book Deals
• Amazon Teen & Young Adult Book Deals
• Fierce Reads Book Deals
• Book Riot Deals of the Day

New YA Book Giveaways:

• Adventures in YA Publishing Giveaways
• Epic Reads Giveaways
• Goodreads Giveaways
• RivetedLit Giveaways
• YA Books Central Giveaways

YA New Book Deals and Releases:

• New Releases this week 09/04-09/10 plus 7 Giveaways via Adventures in YA Publishing: Our weekly highlighted new releases, plus a whopping seven giveaways!
• What’s New In YA ~ September 5th, 2017 via YA Books Central: New releases in YA for this week.