Does fan fiction spell the end of the professional novelist?

In popular genres such as sci-fi and fantasy, fan fiction based on the Wattpad model could easily disrupt the publishing industryFor a few years in the mid 2000s, I was the young librarian who got sent to schools to convince kids they really did want to read books. The truth of my experience was that the kids needed no convincing. There’s an odd belief in some parts of the book world that young people have to be made to read, or made to read “good” books. If you want a really telling piece of evidence to counter this strange notion, look no further than Wattpad.With more than 35 million users and over 100,000 stories published each day, Wattpad is staggeringly active community of readers and writers, the vast majority of whom are young adults. When I was working for libraries to engage young people with books, the idea of a website where kids could post and read stories for and by their peer group came up again and again. Wattpad is that vision made real, with the support of nearly $70m (£46m) in venture capital funding. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]

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I wrote the Anarchist Cookbook in 1969. Now I see its premise as flawed | William Powell

When I penned the book, I was angry and alienated. Today I realize that violence can't be used to prevent violenceForty-four years ago this month, in December 1969, I quit my job as a manager of a bookstore in New York City's Greenwich Village and began to write the Anarchist Cookbook. My... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Did sales affect Time's pick for Person of the Year?

Did Time magazine pick Pope Francis as its Person of the Year because he'll sell more magazines than Edward Snowden? That's what some media outlets and Twitter users suggested Wednesday after the new pontiff beat out Mr. Snowden for the recognition.Business Insider, for instance, wrote:"Snowden,... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Magazines' Next Big Goal: Reaching Latinas In English

Magazine companies are increasingly shifting their attention to the surging Hispanic community in the U.S. and their impressive buying power.In the last 10 months, Hearst, Conde Nast and Time Inc. have introduced or strengthened English-language magazines and inserts aimed at Latinas, a growing... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2013-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeff Bezos's Wife Gave The Tell–All Amazon Book A One–Star Review

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[ Fast Company | 2013-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two 19th century Gothic classics get Goth YA makeovers

Gris Grimly punks up the 'Frankenstein' crew in his illustrated book, while Alison Croggon modernizes 'Wuthering Heights' in her YA novel 'Black Spring.'Those thoroughly satiated with beach days and summer blonds can seek refuge of a darker sort in two new novels for young adults in which... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Governments Requested Information On 38,000 Facebook Users In The First Half Of 2013

Facebook received about 38,000 data requests from government agents in 71 countries in the first half of 2013, according to the company's first Global Government Requests Report, which it published today. The report comprises both criminal and national security requests made in the first six... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Elmore Leonard: Michael Connelly hails the book world's king of cool

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[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Leadership Book Author On Why You're Better Off Reading Fiction For Lasting Lessons

Craig Chappelow has written about how leaders can be more successful. But he'd crack One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest before the latest business book any day. Here's why he thinks you should, too. Read any good leadership books lately? Me either. It seems like popular books about leadership... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Where is the Book Equivalent of the Harlem Shake?

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Report Sees Gradual Decline in Book Spending

Given the state of flux in the book world, it can be dangerous to predict industry sales trends, but the private investment banking firm Veronis Suhler Stevenson has done just that in its latest annual report, the “VSS Communications Industry Forecast (2012–16).” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Does Oprah still have her book mojo?

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Colbert's children's book tops the bestseller list

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Figment lets young writers share and critique work

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[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Usborne recruits police-centred YA series

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will New Apple Chief Mean Shift for Publishers?

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[ AdWeek | 2011-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Morpurgo wins Red House award

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Tue, 14/06/2011 - 12:40 Michael Morpurgo has won the Red House Children's Book Award 2011 for Shadow (HarperCollinsChildren's Books) becoming the only author to win the award three times. Angela McAllister and Alison Edgson's Yuck! That's not a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Major Campaign for Special K Book

Special K is a $1 billion brand in the U.S., selling an estimated 168 million boxes of cereal a year. This spring, Kellogg's and Weldon Owen are hoping a massive marketing campaign can extend the brand's success into the book world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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