iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Jen Arena

Jennifer Laughran @literaticat.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Heads up, Bookworms: There will likely be💀supply chain issues💀 this holiday season. So if there are specific books you have your heart set on for holiday gifting, I strongly suggest you buy/order them ahead of time (✨like now✨) rather than waiting until November/December.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

It's officially Fall! If you want some free activities to go along with reading Acorn Was a Little Wild to your kiddo or classroom, visit my website! jenarenabooks.com

Acorn from Acorn Was a Little Wild by Jen Arena and Jessica Gibson on a gold button against a dark background. Across the top are the words, "Happy Fall, y'all!"

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Winter is coming . . . and so is Woolly! This January, Penguin is publishing my picture book, Woolly's Mammoth Knot, illustrated by Erica Chen. Here's the first review: "A highly intentional, undeniably sweet approach to a familiar childhood challenge."--Kirkus I'm so excited! ❄️😊❄️

Cover for Woolly's Mammoth Knot by Jen Arena, illustrated by Erica Chen, featuring a particularly woolly woolly mammoth in an Ice Age setting of snow and ice.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Walking into a bookstore and seeing your books on the shelves never gets old. 😊

My Little Golden Book About the 80s (illustrated by Spencer Wilson) on a a BookEnds Ybor bookstore shelf between Dim Sum for Everyone board book and Mad Libs.

The three books in the Little Libros of Love series by Jen Arena and Blanca Gomez--Besos for Baby, Abrazos for Baby, and Sonrisas for Baby--spine out on a wooden bookstore shelf.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

This cover just doesn't do this fascinating Facebook expose justice. I really hope they re-envision it for the paperback.

Book cover for Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams. On an off-white background sits a round-edged blue square with a gray shark fin.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I love that this squirrel decided the birdhouse was his breakfast nook. Plus he reminds me of one of my favorite spreads in Acorn Was a Little Wild. 🌱📗🌳

Photo of a grey squirrel perched on a wooden birdhouse eating a nut

Interior art from Acorn Was a Little Wild of a red squirrel holding an acorn high. Acorn is smiling. The text reads, "But the squirrel didn't carry him up a tree."

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

I just reread Creepy Crayon by Aaron Reynolds and @peterbrownstudio.com Here's the flap copy: "The crayon gets him straight As. The crayon does all his thinking. The crayon . . . starts to take over." It pubbed in 2022. Is it a giant metaphor for AI?

cover for Creepy Crayon, a scared white bunny holding a purple crayon with a devious look on its face.

Interior of Creepy Crayon, a white bunny looking into a mirror on which the words "YOU NEED ME" have been written in purple crayon.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Wow! "Today is August 4, 2026," said a second voice from the kitchen ceiling.

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Reposted by Jen Arena

Emily Keyes @esckeyes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

www.thebookseller.com/news/genius-... Oh here we go again... In the US, AI generated text is not subject to copyright so publishers have no reason to "buy" it. It's public domain.

thebookseller.com

‘Genius’ novel sold in six and seven-figure deals at auction pulled over suspected AI use

A crime novel has been pulled from sale by an agent after securing major six- and seven-figure deals in the US and the UK due to AI allegations.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Publishing is a roller coaster. At the end of May, I find out one of my picture books is going out of print. 😔 At the end of July, I find out they are doing a board book edition of it! 😊 I've seen the board book cover, and it's even prettier than the original. ❤️📚 I'll post it when I can.

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Reposted by Jen Arena

Porter Square Books in Cambridge & Boston @portersqbooks.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Writers of the Great Cambridge Area! Don't forget to apply for the 2027 Writers in Residence program. One writer for adults and one writer for young readers will be selected to get some cool benefits, while fulfilling some responsibilities that we hope help develop their careers!

portersquarebooks.com

Porter Square Books Writers in Residence Program

Porter Square Books will once again be hosting Writers in Residence in 2025

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

I love the message behind Hachette's new program. 📚❤️📚 @littlebrownyr.bsky.social

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

I'm so excited! Tampa has a new independent bookstore, BookEnds Ybor--and it's glorious! The owners have taken such care making it a beautiful and welcoming place. I know this will be a wonderful gathering spot for the neighborhood. Plus they carry my books!

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

These covers of the Anne and Emily books are gorgeous! I wish I had room in my suitcase for eleven books so I could bring them all home with me. ❤️📚

European edition of Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery showing Anne and Diana sitting on a stone bridge reading a book.

European edition of Anne of Windy Willows by L.M. Montgomery showing Anne sitting under a pink blossomed cherry tree reading a letter.

European edition of Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery showing Emily reading a book under an apple tree surrounded by red apples.

European edition of Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery showing Emily in a red winter coat holding a lantern walking through snow on a moonlit night.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Lots of good advice here! I particularly like "Trends are over as soon as you know about them. . . . If you start writing a book to a trend when you see a bunch already published, you're up to five years behind the curve."

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Dingle is one of my favorite towns in Ireland--and I love their little bookstore!

A blue-painted exterior of a store that says "Dingle Bookshop" in white lettering

Three rows of children's books topped by a painting of a blonde woman riding a red patterned horse withe the words Leabhair de Leanai in a speech balloon.

Inside the Dingle Bookshop, a white hatted Barbie doll behind a blackbird standee on the top of a black bookshelf that says "Children's"

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 16/06/2026

Gen X, 👀 ! Were you a punk, a preppy, a Jane Fonda acolyte? Did you have a perm, a flattop, a Mohawk? Could you solve a Rubik's Cube in under two minutes? Do you want to share all that wild '80s joy with the kids in your life? Check out My Little Golden Book About the 80s, available TODAY!

The turquoise and hot pink cover for My Little Golden Book About the 80s, with green and blue writing around it that says, "Hey Gen X, it's Pub Day!"

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Yes! In my mind, AI = scam. "If you can’t get it together to write a simple business communication by yourself, what confidence should I have about any other aspect of your business?"

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

If you love the 80s, here's your chance to share that magical decade with kids in your life--My Little Golden Book About the 80s is coming out next week! I had the BEST time researching and writing this book. It was a dream project. And Spencer Wilson's art? Totally awesome.

The cover for My Little Golden Book About the 80s, hot pink type on a turquoise background with stylized illustrations of a boombox, Mr T, a Care Bear, Pac-Man, an arcade game and Mary Lou Retton.

A page from the interior of My Little Golden Book About the 80s, with the headline "Big 80s Hair" and images of different trends--the Perm, the Side Ponytail, the Mullet, the Hi-top Fade, the Mohawk, and the Rattail.

A page from the interior of My Little Golden Book About the 80s on Rubik's Cube

A page from the interior of My Little Golden Book About the 80s about MTV with stylized images of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, and Whitney Houston.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

My inner Bridget Jones is very happy right now. For years, I've read about Milk Trays in Brit Lit books, and I finally bought one on this trip to Ireland. It feels so decadent! But it was on sale at Tesco, so I kind of had to, right? And no, I can't . . . won't eat the whole thing in one sitting.

a rich purple box that says "Cadbury Milk Tray" on the front.

An open box of chocolates containing 15 filled milk chocolates in different shapes.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Because bookstores are the best place to hang out. ❤️

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Shout out to Story Garden in St. Pete! Congrats on making the list in your first year!

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

I went out to hear some music last night and my dog's boyfriend was there! She usually plays a little hard to get with him, but they had a real date night, side by side, begging for treats, enjoying the show. ❤️ 🐕‍🦺

A black short-haired dog and a scruffy yellow dog lying next to each other outside.

As seen from above, a black short-haired dog and a scruffy yellow dog lying next to each other outside. Their hips are just touching.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Thinking of "crud" and the time I went to a young kids publishing meet-up. Someone from Harper asked about my job. I proudly told her I was an assistant editor at Grosset & Dunlap, a mass market imprint. She literally turned up her nose and said, "Oh. You do merch." I was gutted.

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Reposted by Jen Arena

Anne Ursu @anneursu.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

we all in his business have a choice. we can strive to make the literature better by opening doors and lifting people up, or we can diminish and demean it, make it smaller. I believe the first centers the reader, the second centers ourselves.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

Yesterday I took a tour of the National Library of Ireland in Dublin. These photos are from the Readers' Room. Isn't it beautiful? @nlireland.bsky.social

Looking up at the vaulted ceiling in the readers' room of the National Library of Ireland, in colors of white and aqua with touches of gold. The panels are painted in an ombre effect, the aqua color getting lighter as they near to the windows at the top.

The half dome ceiling of the readers' room in the National Library of Ireland, white trimwork with panels painted aqua and accents of gold.

Rows of wooden desks and chairs in the National Library of Ireland Readers' Room. Each station has a green shaded desk lamp.

A person with a backpack standing in the National Library of Ireland readers' room looking at wooden card catalogs on a parquet floor.

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Ryan Dunlavey > NYCC table L-24 @ryandunlavey.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

I was just talking to a friend today about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - new books every month, totally for free, for kids ages 1-5. My son was part of the program - this is a copy of the letter that came with his last book, right after his 5th birthday.

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Reposted by Jen Arena

Howard Mittelmark @howardm.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Nobody is going to steal your idea for a novel.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Any Chronicle authors out there? I just logged into the Statement Portal for the first time and I can't seem to find sales figures anywhere, just the dollar amount that I've been paid in royalties. What am I doing wrong?

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Dublin has so many fantastic bookstores, but this might be my favorite! Books Upstairs has a great selection of books and a wonderful cafe. (Ironically the books are downstairs and the cafe upstairs.) I recommend the carrot cake--and love the no laptops policy. They ask you to read a book instead.📚

The bright blue exterior of Books Upstairs in Dublin, Ireland, with gold lettering that says "Bookshop Literary Venue Cafe." The front window is filled with books.

A red-carpeted staircase in Books Upstairs leading up. The paneling and banisters are painted white and at the top of the stairs is a glass-fronted bookcase with books inside.

The upstairs cafe at Books Upstairs, with round wooden tables, pink walls, and a bow front window that has stained glass for the upper window panes. On the table in the foreground sits a piece of carrot cake on a white porcelain plate. A small handwritten note card on the table says "no laptops please!

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

This is an encouraging post, and true in my case, too. I've had manuscripts that I've put in a drawer until something changed--editors, the market, or me.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

This is a great way to celebrate the return of flamingos to Florida! 🦩🌴 www.popsci.com/environment/...

popsci.com

Florida finally makes the flamingo its state bird

Bye bye mockingbird.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

I know @ericsmithrocks.bsky.social keeps a list of freelance editors for hire. Does anyone know of a similar list of freelance designers? A friend of my sister is looking to self-publish a picture book. www.ericsmithrocks.com/blog/tag/Fre...

ericsmithrocks.com

Freelance — Blog — ERIC SMITH

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

This is a really great post. I'm bookmarking it to share with people who ask me about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

I've been in many amazing overstuffed bookstores all over the world, but I've never seen anything like Red Books in Wexford, Ireland. ☘️📚

The exterior of a shop in Wexford, Ireland with "RED BOOKS BOOKSHOP" written above the entrance.

Inside the bookstore, books piled from the floor to the ceiling.

Looking down a narrow passageway with books on every side.

Two small rooms in the bookstore with shelves and shelves of books and more books stacked on the floor.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Ellen was a force. She was one of the first people I knew in kids books, when I was working at a fellow indie kids bookstore and only dreaming of someday working in NYC for a publisher.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Ask Me Anything sessions with Connie Hsu, Alvina Ling, or Rotem Moscovich? These are amazing auctions. Connie was my editor for Besos for Baby and Marta! Big and Small and remains my dream editor to this day.

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Reposted by Jen Arena

Adam Sharp @adamcsharp.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

The best way of describing someone who’s all talk and no action that I’ve ever heard in the UK, by far, is “they’re all wardrobe and no Narnia.” * read on for fun ways of saying “all talk and no action” in other languages (a thread)

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Introverted editor friends, be warned! These signs are all over Dublin trains. 😉 I mean, I know the Irish are super friendly, but this is a little extreme.

A green and yellow sign posted in a Dublin DART train that says "Report Anti-Social Behaviour" with a number to call.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

RT this with your home river. The Hillsborough River, Tampa, Florida

The Hillsborough River, Florida at sunset, with pink, blues, and oranges reflected in the water.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

I was so happy to walk into a store in PA while Christmas shopping and find a Richard Scarry print vending machine! Of course, I got one--the toothpaste car. A week later, I was passing by and got another. Pickle car! Best quarters I've spent in a long, long time.

Mini Print Vending Machine stocked with Richard Scarry prints by Anastasia Inciardi. "4 Quarters = 1 Surprise Print"

A Richard Scarry-inspired mini print of an orange catdriving a blue and white striped toothpaste tube car.

A Richard Scarry-inspired mini print of a yellow pig driving a green pickle car

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

No cheating. Reskeet with the most recent picture of your pet.

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

I'm so happy--today is the book birthday for Abrazos for Baby! 🎉🍾🎉🥂 Blanca Gomez's art is the BEST. I feel so incredibly lucky to be paired with her. (She did the art for Besos for Baby and Sonrisas for Baby board books, too.) It's so pretty, I just want to hug the book. Abrazos, libro, abrazos!

Cover art for Abrazos for Baby by Jen Arena, illustrated by Blanca Gomez. A stylized little girl and a stylized little boy, each holding an ice cream cone in one hand, hug each other sweetly with the other arm.

interior art from Abrazos for Baby showing a little girl sitting at the end of a row of books on a bookshelf, reading a book with a blue cover. The text reads: "Abrazos, libro, abrazos."

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

I noticed recently that in the analytics section of my website, suddenly over half of the traffic I'm getting is coming from China. Until a month ago, 95% of the traffic was from the US. Anyone else seeing this? I assume it's AI scraping my site. Is there anything that can be done?

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Jen Arena @jenarena.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Last night, I was hanging out at a Tampa brewpub with friends when a surprise visitor showed up. This little owl flew in through the rolled up garage door and took up a perch right by the bar. Maybe it came to invite someone to Hogwarts. 🦉🪄🦉

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