The panic that’s expressed online bears little resemblance to what’s happening at literary agencies and publishing houses.

In this excerpt from It Depends: An Author’s Practical Guide to Debut Year, M. Stevenson shows how indie shops can contribute to a traditionally-published book’s launch strategy.

Inexperienced authors may believe generative AI use improves their manuscript, but there’s a cost—extra fees charged by freelance editors.

Even though promotional copy (aka blurb) for your novel or memoir is necessarily brief, effective ones can take readers on an emotional journey.

American vehicles have grown heavier, faster, and wider every decade since 1982 — and federal fuel economy rules reward the growth. Evidence from 50 years of EPA data.

The artist’s responsibility is not to repeat what’s been done, but to become fully themselves by following wherever the work leads.

The books had to be light and small enough to fit in servicemen's pockets. The motto of the Council on Books in Wartime was: "Books Are Weapons in the War of Ideas."

Turning your grass into a garden isn't as complicated as you think, but it will take time and effort. This step-by-step guide breaks down the process, from killing your lawn to picking plants to grow.

A new study suggests the growing educational and economic divide between men and women is reshaping marriage and family life in America — leaving many women with a shrinking pool of economically stable partners.

Fear can limit our ability to apply reason and logic, leading to flawed choices and behavior—bad in real life, but story gold in fiction.

When memoirists grant compassion to themselves and others, acknowledging everyone’s hopes and struggles, it makes writing easier—and better.

NPR art director and illustrator Jackie Lay tells the story of Hatshepsut, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest pharaohs in Egypt's history — but whose legacy was erased for over 3,000 years.

The four Army officers were on track to become one-star generals, NPR confirms. Defense secretary Pete Hegseth's involvement in the promotion process is highly unusual.

The annual observance marks how far into the new year women must work to make what men earned in the previous year. This year, it's March 26, a day later than it was in 2025.

Everything writers need to know about AI, copyright, and current case law, in one regularly updated, fact-based guide.

The Authors Guild has expanded its human-authorship certification program to all authors. It verifies author identity, but not AI use.

She was thrilled to become the first teacher from a government-sponsored school in India to get a Fulbright exchange award to learn from U.S. schools. People asked two questions that clouded her joy.

In this visual guide, certified car seat experts walk through common installation mistakes and how to fix them. Learn what a secure car seat base and a tightly fastened tether look like and more.

These health care hurdles can stand in the way of getting treatment your doctor says you need. Here's what to know about how to deal with them.

Forth Worth teacher Chanea Bond says sticking with pen and paper keeps generative artificial intelligence out of her American literature classes.

A self-described "little farm girl" in the Jim Crow Era, Gladys West's complex and pioneering work for the U.S. Navy helped to improve billions of lives — and keep us from getting lost.

Putting together a go bag doesn't have to be daunting or expensive. Here's how to create a functional kit that doesn't require much money, time or effort.

These Chrome extensions see everything — and take everything. It may already be too late.

Scientists have found the first compelling evidence that cognitive training can boost levels of a brain chemical that typically declines as people age. The results of this 10-week study back earlier animal research showing that environments that stimulate the brain can increase levels of certain neurotransmitters. And other studies of people have suggested that cognitive training can improve thinking and memory. So how does it all work? And by how much does it all work? Here to break everything down and help you understand how to keep your brain sharp is NPR science correspondent Jon Hamilton.Interested in more brain science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Building a character is building a world of one; defining them, shaping them, and changing them is what a story is for. In this craft-first virtual masterclass, award winning author N. K. Jemisin will...

Simple mechanics and diverse modes turn Kirby Air Riders into a racing game to rival Mario Kart World, a fellow Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.

Using the workplace as more than a backdrop can supercharge the stakes, conflict, and character development of your fiction.

Since 1981, Chicago Women in Trades has worked to promote equity by getting more women into the construction trades. Now the nonprofit faces a different challenge: Trump's efforts to erase DEI.

Kevin Curry, a food influencer and a former SNAP recipient, explains where SNAP recipients can get the most up-to-date information on their benefits, and how anyone can find free or affordable food.

Reporters from the NPR Network are covering the uncertainty and lapse in benefits in states across the country.

Across the country, demand for electricity is on the rise — and so is the price of electric power.

Close to a deadline for mailing your ballot, tax return or legal document? To make sure it gets a postmark on time under the latest USPS changes, you may want to send it early or visit a post office.