Bookslut was born in an era of internet freedom. Today's web has killed it

The books community that my site joined was driven by enthusiasm not clicks, goodwill and not money – and that culture has goneI miss the internet. I know that, technically, the internet still exists. It’s the Facebook-, Twitter-filtered series of algorithms designed to put cat videos, think pieces, and advertisements in front of you. But I get nostalgic for the days before money invaded the internet – the early 2000s, in particular, when I created the literary blog and webzine Bookslut.com.Back then, nothing you did mattered. And that gave you freedom. Back then, the online book culture was run mostly by enthusiasts and amateurs, people who were creating blogs and webzines simply for the pleasure of it, rather than to build a career or a brand. I know that nostalgia is a stupid emotion, but still I regret the day money found the internet. Once advertisers showed up, offering to pay us to do the thing we were doing just for fun, it was very hard to say no. Or understand exactly what the trade-offs would be.The most disappointing revelation about the books world: even an intellectual is susceptible to clickbaitYou click on it, you own it. Related: Jessa Crispin: 'We're not allowed to say the Paris Review is boring' Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]

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‘I didn’t think it was possible to be a novelist’: Julian Barnes on literature, loss – and his late friend Martin Amis

The Booker winning author talks about how his most recent work was inspired by Hilary Mantel, and the way the books world has changed since his debut was published more than 40 years agoToo many people have been dying lately,” Julian Barnes reflects over the phone from his home in north London.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-16 08:00:25 UTC ]
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The Paris Review Wins 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize

“We are thrilled to announce that The Paris Review has won a 2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize.” Continue reading at The Paris Review

[ The Paris Review | 2023-09-13 14:10:36 UTC ]
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2023 Whiting Literary Magazine Prize Winners Announced

'Guernica,' 'Mizna,' 'Orion,' the 'Paris Review,' the 'Los Angeles Review of Books,' 'n+1,' and 'Oxford American' are the winners of this year's Whiting Literary Magazine Prizes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Has Respect for a Tough Edit

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah burst onto the literary scene in 2018 with the short-story collection Friday Black, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle’s John Leonard Award for Best First Book. He has also written for The New York Times Book Review, Esquire, The Paris Review, and elsewhere,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-02 08:54:07 UTC ]
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‘More zeros than I’ve seen in my life’: the author who got a six-figure deal via ‘BookTok’

After she was dropped by her agent, Alex Aster turned to a books-obsessed corner of TikTok to gauge interest in her YA novel … and now Lightlark is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the yearHaving finally published her first novel, Alex Aster was feeling disheartened. The book had... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-08-16 13:32:30 UTC ]
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Subverting Traditional Narratives of Love and Happiness

When CJ Hauser published “The Crane Wife” in The Paris Review, an essay about repressing her needs in a relationship, calling off a wedding, and going to study whooping cranes on the Gulf Coast, it quickly became a viral hit. Three years later, her 17-piece memoir in essays of the same name... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-07-14 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Make money turning your short fiction… into a video game?

Are you tired of getting your short stories rejected by literary magazines with weird names like Ploughshares, The Paris Review, and, lol, The New Yorker? Do you, a writer of a searing, minimalist narratives of longing and loss amid the ruins of late capitalism, need to eat?  Sure you do! Well,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-03-17 16:16:55 UTC ]
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Take a look at the beautiful cover—and partial contributor list—for Astra Quarterly’s first issue.

Last February, Astra Publishing House announced their new literary magazine, Astra Quarterly, billed as “the international magazine of literature.” Helmed by Nadja Spiegelman, former online editor of The Paris Review and author of I’m Supposed to Protect You from All This, Astra Quarterly is... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-03-03 16:27:33 UTC ]
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Where are the hotshot British male novelists? BAME authors may know

Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Abir Mukherjee, Courttia Newland, Guy Gunaratne, Paul Mendez and Okechukwu Nzelu on why British writers of colour are left out of the conversationAfter this week’s Booker prize longlist was announced, the Times asked “Where are the new male hotshot novelists?” I was... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-31 14:10:18 UTC ]
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'Change is not happening fast enough': UK publishers promise to tackle inequality

Responding to the newly formed Black Writers’ Guild, all five of the biggest publishers say they will make more room for black authors and staffThe “big five” UK publishing houses have separately acknowledged that “change is not happening fast enough” and that they must do a lot more to address... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-06-17 12:45:22 UTC ]
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Read Harder 2020: An Edition of a Literary Magazine (Digital or Physical)

From POETRY Magazine to The Paris Review, here are 9 literary magazines to check out for the 23rd task of Book Riot's 2020 Reader Harder challenge! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-01-13 11:36:36 UTC ]
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PW's Teicher Heading to 'Paris Review'; Boretz, Burnett Up at PW

Craig Teicher is headed to the 'Paris Review' on May 28, when Adam Boretz will replace him as director of special editorial projects and content director at 'Publishers Weekly.' Matia Burnett succeeds Boretz as editor of BookLife. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-05-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Public Space Branches Into Book Publishing

The literary magazine, founded in 2006 by former 'Paris Review' editor Brigid Hughes, is launching a book publishing imprint. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'NYRB' Plummets, 'Paris Review' Creeps Upward On 2017 VIDA Count

According to the annual VIDA Count, which analyzes gender parity at literary magazines, only 23.3% of pieces published in the 'New York Review of Books' last year were written by women, while representation at the 'Paris Review' crept up by 8 percentage points in the year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Emily Nemens appointed editor of The Paris Review

The Paris Review has appointed a new editor, Emily Nemens, following the resignation of Lorin Stein last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The books world is sexist – and a one day promotion isn't enough to fix it

For International Women’s Day, Waterstones has given over its website front page to female authors. This is welcome, but it’s far from enoughWomen are used to living off scraps that fall from the table. Whether we’re being patronised by politicians touting for our votes, or being told by... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maze Runner author James Dashner dropped by US publisher amid harassment claims

Author of the popular young adult series has issued an apology for being ‘part of the problem’ in the wake of anonymous claims posted onlineJames Dashner, author of the bestselling young adult Maze Runner books, has issued an apology in which he says that he “will seek counselling and guidance”... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anthony Horowitz's claim he was told not to write black characters sparks row

Other writers have reacted with scepticism to the Alex Rider author’s claim that he was discouraged from ‘artificial and possibly patronising’ writingA furore has broken out in the children’s books world around claims by Alex Rider creator Anthony Horowitz that he was “warned off” creating a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Paris Review' Revels at Cipriani's

Amid talk of the U.S. government defunding the arts, the 'Paris Review' sticks to its 65-year fundraising tradition—its annual Revel. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘The greatest literary editor there has ever been’ – John Banville remembers Robert Silvers

The death this week of the New York Review of Books editor marks the loss of one of publishing’s most brilliant mindsRobert Silvers was one of the most significant cultural figures of our time. This will seem a large claim to make about the editor of a twice-monthly literary magazine, but then... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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