In this week’s edition: The National Book Foundation reveals the 2022 National Book Award longlists; a study finds that reading literary fiction when young increases one’s understanding of the world’s complexity; what readers and writers lose when there are no live readings; Axios releases a guide to help nonfiction writers break through the clutter; and new technology from Korea is potentially good news for authors whose books languish on the backlist.

Those Who Read Literary Fiction Have a More “Complex Worldview”
Lit Hub
According to a new study in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, reading literary fiction, and especially literary short stories, early in life results in a “more complex worldview,” because it emphasizes the idea of the world as a “radically complicated place.”

2022 National Book Awards Longlists Announced
Publishers Weekly
This past week the National Book Foundation unveiled the nominees for the 2022 National Book Awards in five categories: Poetry, Translated Literature, Young People’s Literature, Nonfiction and Fiction. The shortlists will be announced on October 4 and the winners on November 16. Click on the link above to see all 50 nominations.

Jonathan Franzen: What Happens If We No Longer Have Bookstore Readings
Lit Hub Radio/Writers Institute Podcast
The future of in-person author events seems shaky after years of remote book talks. Author Jonathan Franzen discusses what both writers and readers will lose if bookstore readings, library lectures, and interviews before live audiences disappear for good.

The Axios Guide to Writing Well Is Neither Smart Nor Brief
The New Republic
What if you had to write an entire article or book using sentences no longer than six words?  Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More With Less, a new guide for nonfiction writing and journalism by Axios editors, proposes just that. The guide claims that the only way to capture readers’ attention today is to write fast, clipped sentences packed with information but cut to the bone.

Exclusive: A New International App For Serializing Backlist
Publishing PerspectivesAn app being developed by Korean serialization platform Webtoon is a potential new way to introduce backlist titles to readers through serialization. Unlike sites like Substack, Vella, or Wattpad that focus on user-generated content, the unnamed app will be professionally curated and feature professionally published books. It will be available internationally and is on track to launch later this year.