This week’s publishing news and industry blogs covers 12/19/2015-1/1/2016. Happy New Year!

And yes, after a little rest and recovery, I’m back on my feet and ready to catch you up with what’s been going on while you were celebrating.

Publishing News

The Authors Guild petitions the Supreme Court to hear the DOJ vs Apple case. Meanwhile, the DOJ petitions the Supreme court to turn down the case.

Shelfie is now also offering audio book editions for those who own print editions of certain books.

 Industry Blogs

Writers and agents speculate on the coming year and reflect on the last year. Jim Hines. Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Janet Reid. Nephele Tempest.

A reflection on 10 years of graphic novel publishing from Publishers Weekly, interview-style with several industry professionals.

Agent Janet Reid answers questions and gives advice. How do agents feel about present tense? (Write well enough that the agent doesn’t notice the writing.) What’s the best thing to do with a lightly shopped but rejected manuscript: give it up and work on the next, self-publish, try for a new agent, or keep shopping it on your own? (It depends on what you want most.) If you’re writing in English but based outside the US, can you get published in the US? (Yes; you don’t have to mention in your query that you don’t live in the US.)

More from Reid: a spreadsheet of her recommended books on the craft of writing. An agent you’d like to work with has an assistant read your work and the assistant sends an R&R, but you disagree with their comments: what do you do? Remember that even your author bio is important promo; make every word you write good. Also, yes, cleaning up your website and writing your author bio is your job, not a traditional publisher’s: the difference between promotion and marketing. And some advice on the timing of promotion.

On the Futuristic, Fantasy, and Paranormal blog, 5 social media myths are busted.

And on Writers Write, the benefits of reading!

Seems like most people were out celebrating the holidays, so not too much this time around. What other major publishing news have you encountered in the past two weeks?

View RebekkahNiles.com for more:Publishing Industry News