Man Booker prize judge Colin Thubron has complained this week that star endorsements bully readers into admiring books, but it’s long been standard practiceSetting cats among pigeons has long been an unofficial part of the contract for judges of the Booker prize. Remember Chris Mullin’s insistence on “zip–along” novels, or, way back in 1992, AN Wilson’s condemnation of the prize itself as “essentially trivial”? This year’s flurry of fur and feathers was provoked by a tirade from Colin Thubron on celebrity endorsements. Some blurbs, said the veteran travel writer, “almost blackmail” readers into feeling that “you’re either intellectually or morally incompetent if you don’t love this book or you’ve failed if you haven’t understood it”. Some people, he felt, “seem to earn their living … saying: ‘This is the most profound book of our generation.’”Starting our Iris Murdoch bookclub with this '69 @PenguinUKBooks edition - you don't find blurbs like this any more! pic.twitter.com/P2XUvgtKAM Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#booker prize
#colin thubron
#celebrity endorsements
#ve failed
Residents and publishers in the remote Canadian province are wringing their hands over a 10% tax jump on all book purchases, set to take effect in January 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book purchases
More than 2,000 readers and writers attended the Calvin College Festival of Faith & Writing in Grand Rapids, Mich. to celebrate religious expression in literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#faith writing
#grand rapids
Fiction dominated ebook sales on Smashwords while romance sales dominated fiction; $2.99-$3.99 were the sweetspots for pricing, and social media, offering series and free samples were identified as key to building ebook sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
The US Authors Guild’s appeal against the earlier ruling that allows the tech giant to scan millions of books under ‘fair use’ has been rejected by the Supreme CourtA long-running face-off between the US Authors Guild and Google over the search engine’s scanning of millions of books was brought... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#scan millions
#search engine
#authors guild
#tech giant
#margaret atwood
#supreme court
#enables users
The Ontario, Canada-based book wholesaler is completing a $3 million project to add a large-scale mechanical sorter, robotics, and supporting technologies that will give it significantly faster sorting capabilities. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
The Los Angeles Convention Center has booked 30 major conventions for 2016, a 30% increase over last year and a new record for big multi-day gatherings at the city facility. The conventions this year include a celebration of comic books and movies, a gathering of experts on allergies and a... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#comic books
The Supreme Court on Monday turned away a challenge to Google Inc.'s online book library from authors who said the project makes it harder for them to market their work. The justices let stand lower court rulings in favor of Mountain View, Calif.-based Google and rejected the authors' claim that... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#online library
#supreme court
#mountain view
The US Supreme Court will not hear an appeal from a group of authors who claim Google breached copyright laws by scanning books. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2016-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#supreme court
The decision ends one of the publishing industry's defining legal dramas of the digital age. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishing industry
#digital age
Having weathered every challenge possible since its 1851 founding, Books Inc. demonstrates its commitment to bookselling, even in difficult circumstances. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Major fairs in Bologna and London made for a busy 10 days for publishers worldwide. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishers worldwide
This week: Mark Twain's round-the-world comedy tour, plus a devilish Highsmithian thriller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#mark twain
Putnam preempts a debut novel about two Korean sisters separated by war, Tamara Ireland-Stone sells her fourth YA book to Disney-Hyperion, and Italian food importer Rolando Beramendi signs up with SMP. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book deals
#putnam preempts
Irish startup Writing for Tiny allows users to create personalized books with characters of all sizes and colors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
A posthumous memoir from the legendary publisher recalls his battle to publish 'Tropic of Cancer.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
On October 18, 2016, The Markets: Global Publishing Summit will showcase seven publishing regions you can’t afford to ignore. Here we offer brief glimpses into each of these markets. The post Snapshots of Seven Vibrant Publishing Markets: Frankfurt Book Fair appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
'We are a little isolationist,' Ivars Ījabs says to fellow from the Baltics in a session of constructive candor on 'the paradox of the open culture' at London Book Fair. The post Baltic Crossroads at London Book Fair: Writers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
How pure a play is crowdfunding? As Unbound's John Mitchinson says, "We still decide" which books are taken forward. And #LBF16-goers crowded a session on it. The post ‘The Wisdom of the Crowds’ at London Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#john mitchinson
Telling Publishing Perspectives about her 'good, great partnership' with London's Quarto, Sharjah's Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi announces that Kalimat Quarto will begin distribution in early 2017. The post At London Book Fair Thursday: Kalimat & Quarto Announce Joint Imprint appeared first... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#kalimat quarto
Foreign rights buyers are turning their attention to the language of Borges and Bolaño — At last! say agents and publishers. The post Rights Rising in the Spanish Language: ‘A Universe in Itself’ at London Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#spanish language