News Archive - Brown Books Publishing Group

The Birth of a Genre

Brown Books Publishing Group — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:41:23 +0000

A look at how literary genres came to be, how they’ve changed over time, and why writers keep remixing them.

So You're Going to a Library Conference

Brown Books Publishing Group — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 15:17:49 +0000

Everything an author should know about library conferences from networking and pitching your book to creating opportunities for lasting connections.

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Rescue Animals Deserve Our Support

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:22:51 +0000

Brown Books Publishing Group is proud to introduce RADO’s Press, a new nonprofit children’s imprint founded by CEO Milli Brown that represents the fulfillment of a long-held dream: combining her passion for publishing with her commitment to animal welfare. RADO’s stands for Rescue Animals Deserve Our Support, and that belief is at the heart of everything the imprint does. Through thoughtfully crafted children’s books, we aim to inspire young readers while directly supporting rescue animals in need.

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The Brown Books Editorial Internship May Have Been Built Just for You

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:09:52 +0000

English-class heroes, literature snobs, aspiring journalists, creative writers, unapologetic grammar nerds, passionate readers and book lovers alike: the BBPG Editorial Internship is waiting for you!

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Judge Away!: Inside the Art of Book Cover Design

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:52:42 +0000

As readers and consumers, we’re all familiar with the pleasures and pitfalls of judging a book by its cover. The cover is a crucial aspect of book marketing and can significantly impact a book’s success and brand recognition. This involves creating a visual representation of the book that attracts readers and conveys the essence of the content. Strong covers rely on compositional excellence, balance, appropriate implementation of negative space, alignment, typographic hierarchy, legibility, and clarity of symbolism. Great covers are simple, intentional, genre-appropriate, and instantly communicative.

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The Small Press: A Publishing Path for Company Histories, Business Memoirs, and Family Legacies

Brown Books Publishing Group — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 23:02:04 +0000

Not every book needs national distribution to have lasting impact. Small Press provides an alternative publishing path for authors who know their audience, helping business leaders and families share.

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What It Was Like to Perform Under Legendary Conductor Arturo Toscanini

Brown Books Publishing Group — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 14:48:23 +0000

In this interview, Brittany Griffiths, Senior Manager of Operations at Brown Books Publishing Group and curator of the Brown Books Substack, hosts a conversation with Lucy Antek Johnson, author of This Was Toscanini: The Maestro, My Father, and Me. The book offers a rare insider account shaped by the firsthand experiences of Johnson’s father, Samuel Antek, who performed under the legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini. Their discussion explores the music, the discipline, and the thoughtful preservation of a unique perspective from within one of the twentieth century’s most influential orchestral legacies.

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Finding Just the Right Words (in Spanish)

Brown Books Publishing Group — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:08:25 +0000

Editor Laura Irizarry shares insights into the craft, challenges, and cultural depth of translating bilingual children’s literature.

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From Bookstore Revivals to the Decline of the Mass Market Paperback: The Top Five Publishing Shifts of 2025

Brown Books Publishing Group — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:33:04 +0000

A roundup of five of the biggest changes in the publishing industry this year, and what they mean for independent and hybrid publishers navigating unpredictable waters.

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Inside the Studio with Illustrator Miguel Ordóñez

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 22:56:25 +0000

A Q&A with the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of Jimmy Fallon's Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA and Antonio Vicente's Did You Hear That?

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The Editorial Case for the Hybrid Publishing Model

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:07:09 +0000

How BBPG Editorial Helps to Make the Relationship Publishing® Model Real from the Start.

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Metadata Madness: Surviving the Shift from Amazon Advantage to Vendor Central

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:24:23 +0000

Metadata is the backbone of discoverability in the digital realm whether that’s Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other sales channels; library databases; Google; or streaming platforms. It determines how titles are categorized, how readers find them, and ultimately, how well they sell. Yet for publishers and authors, controlling this metadata has always been complicated, and Amazon’s recent decision to sunset its publisher platform, Amazon Advantage, has only amplified the challenge.

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The ROI of PR at a Hybrid Publisher

Brown Books Publishing Group — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 22:21:50 +0000

In the past five years that I have spent in book publicity at a hybrid publisher, the most commonly asked question tends to center around ROI: “What is my return on investment?” There is often a misperception that once a PR proposal is signed, the efforts of a PR and marketing campaign are going to lead to immediate sales. While sales are certainly important, the main goal of a PR campaign is to build an author brand and discoverability that will provide opportunities for sales over time. Let’s explore what a PR package typically includes and how to determine its value.

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Inside the Studio with Illustrator Masha Sudovykh

Brown Books Publishing Group — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 21:49:06 +0000

A Q&A with the illustrator of Max and Mama, the new book by Laura Numeroff, New York Times bestselling author of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

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It’s the Thought That Counts: On Writing and AI

Brown Books Publishing Group — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:46:14 +0000

In a modern world teeming with optimization, efficiency, and automation, one can only assume the next phase of our creative production is to be fully engulfed in the unknown that is artificial intelligence. But we forget that in the pursuit of efficiency, we risk losing the very human art of writing.

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Copyright 101: Why, When, and How to Register Your Book

Brown Books Publishing Group — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 22:19:58 +0000

In the United States, copyright protection begins at inception—meaning your work is protected from the moment it is fixed in tangible medium, either physical or electronic. From the second you preserve the work—complete or not—you own the copyright. A work qualifies for copyright if it is original, fixed in a tangible medium, contains some modicum of creativity, and has human authorship.

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AI: Friend or Enemy of “Authentic” Writing?

Brown Books Publishing Group — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 14:44:24 +0000

Our senior editor goes on a bit of a tangent to finally tackle the question over the ways and the extent to which writers should lean on AI to help them to produce copy.

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Women-Run Publishing

Brown Books Publishing Group — Thu, 02 May 2024 18:58:00 +0000

Publisher's Weekly highlights the growing influence of women in the publishing industry. Many women are breaking into executive roles or launching their own presses. These women-led publishers are making an impact by championing diverse voices and formats, from hybrid publishers to children’s books and innovative nonfiction. Leaders like Milli Brown, Kirsty Melville, Julia Abramoff, and Nancy Traversy have brought fresh perspectives to the industry, fostering inclusion, entrepreneurship, and diverse storytelling that resonates with global audiences.

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A “30-Year Overnight Success” – Brown Books’ Journey to Becoming a PW Fast-Growing Indie Publisher

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 23 Aug 2023 17:15:00 +0000

Founded by Milli Brown in 1994, BBPG is a pioneer of the hybrid publishing model, which allows authors to retain their rights and have more control over their work. BBPG has seen significant success, including being named one of Publishers Weekly’s Top 5 Fast-Growing Independent Publishers. In 2024, the company won four Benjamin Franklin Awards for various titles. Their growth is driven by a strong author-centric approach, emphasizing personal relationships, hands-on support, and a full-service model that empowers authors throughout the publishing process.

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First Look: New Children's Book Honors the Life and Art of Young Uvalde School Shooting Victim

Brown Books Publishing Group — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 19:04:00 +0000

Violet Lemay's book, Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist, set to release in October 2024, honors Alithia Ramirez, a 10-year-old aspiring artist tragically killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, and the other victims by celebrating Alithia's love for art. Lemay, inspired by Alithia’s story and her own passion for art, worked closely with Alithia's family to incorporate her art and life into the book. The project also supports the Alithia Haven Ramirez Memorial Scholarship and promotes kindness through art via the "Alithia’s Art Angels" website.

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