Derek Thompson unravels the mystery of Fifty Shades’ mega-salesThere are no doubt plenty of people - but probably not as many as read the book - who simply can’t fathom how EL James can have sold more than 125m copies of Fifty Shades of Grey. Derek Thompson is here to help. The reason, it transpires, is pretty straightforward: a winning combination of social connection, five-star ebook reviews, the fan-fiction community and, finally, marketing. That might sound banal, but in Hit Makers, Thompson does a really fascinating job of explaining how things become popular, drawing on a wide range of cultural phenomena, from Star Wars to the iPhone, Taylor Swift to Game of Thrones. Reading its countless interesting references, it quickly becomes clear that Hit Makers is less a how-to guide – Thomson believes success is often “semichaotic” – and more a how-come? conversation with an engaging popular culture expert. The conclusion? Mere imitation rarely begets a hit, but the elusive combination of familiarity, innovation and marketing stands a better chance.• Hit Makers: How Things Become Popular by Derek Thompson is published by Allen Lane (£20). To order a copy for £15 go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99 Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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These days, if you use your book review to call an author a pervert and instruct him to abandon writing for the sake of public morality, most reputable editors will palm you a paltry kill fee and mothball your screed. Not so, it would seem, in 1890. Here’s how an outraged book critic for The […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-24 18:10:37 UTC ]
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Henry Bean’s first novel, reissued as “The Nenoquich,” follows a young writer in Berkeley through a transformative affair. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-20 09:00:24 UTC ]
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IPG CEO Joe Matthews told PW the company remains committed to its 50-year-old publishing programs but that "the current market" required adjustments. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Kate Flannery’s “Strip Tees” is a racy, thoughtful memoir of her tenure during the rise and fall of the controversial retail company. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-14 09:00:33 UTC ]
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Ask ChatGPT about comedian Sarah Silverman’s memoir “The Bedwetter” and the artificial intelligence chatbot can come up with a detailed synopsis of every part of the book Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-07-12 22:32:35 UTC ]
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Ask ChatGPT about comedian Sarah Silverman’s memoir “The Bedwetter” and the artificial intelligence chatbot can come up with a detailed synopsis of every part of the book Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-07-12 22:32:31 UTC ]
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This Kobo Plus review weighs the pros and cons of the current best alternative to Kindle Unlimited. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-07-11 10:32:00 UTC ]
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In her memoir “Thunderclap,” the British art critic Laura Cumming explores her passion for the virtuosic images of everyday life by painters from Dutch art’s golden age. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-09 09:00:19 UTC ]
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The pseudonymous South Korean author’s first novel to be translated into English pits a multinational conglomerate against life on earth. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-09 09:00:12 UTC ]
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Beth Nguyen left Vietnam and her biological mother when she was a baby. Her memoir “Owner of a Lonely Heart” examines the ripple effect of those departures. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-01 09:03:10 UTC ]
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As ByteDance launches a publishing company, many in the book world wonder if it will create an uneven playing field by boosting its own authors at the expense of others. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-07-01 09:00:50 UTC ]
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For the past few years, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold line has been the undisputed champion of big flexible phones. But it holds that title almost by default thanks to a lack of real contenders — especially outside of China. But with the Pixel Fold, Google has created a legitimate challenger with an... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-26 17:00:03 UTC ]
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If you think your kids should have a smart display of their very own, this might be a good time to grab two of them from Amazon. In advance of Prime Day, you can get two Echo Show 5 Kids for the price of one. The displays came out in 2023 and typically go for $100 each. By using the code... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-22 16:30:34 UTC ]
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Tudum, Netflix’s in-house mix of Comic Con and shareholder presentation, took place this weekend. The company used the moment to tease plenty of forthcoming projects, including its live-action remakes of One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender. It also showed off its adaptation of the Pulitzer... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-19 11:15:23 UTC ]
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The problem with studying the universe around us is that it is simply too big. The stars overhead remain too far away to interact with directly, so we are relegated to testing our theories on the formation of the galaxies based on observable data. Simulating these celestial bodies on computers... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-18 15:30:05 UTC ]
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Things That Disappear (an excerpt) by Jung Yong-jun Fiction [email protected] Mon, 06/12/2023 - 14:28 Photo by Why Kei / Unsplash Jung’s Yong-jun’s short story “Disappearing Things,” from his collection A Walk along Seoulleung, won the Moonji... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-06-12 19:28:50 UTC ]
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You get free stuff, you get free travel, you get the nifty cool title of "brand ambassador," what's not to love about being an internet influencer? There's the consequences, for one. Not even just the warranted consequences of your actual actions, mind you, but also those arriving unbidden based... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2023-06-11 14:30:57 UTC ]
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Jenny Erpenbeck’s Kairos, Deborah Levy’s August Blue, and Frieda Hughes’ George: A Magpie Memoir all feature among the Best Reviewed Books of the Week. Brought to you by Book Marks, Lit Hub’s “Rotten Tomatoes for books.” * Fiction 1. Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck (New Directions) 10 Rave • 3... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-09 08:53:52 UTC ]
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Gilbert Cruz, the new editor of the 'Review,' plans to keep experimenting to find the perfect formula for books coverage at the paper of record. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In the “brutally honest” memoir “Pageboy,” the actor recounts the fears and obstacles to gender transition, and the hard-won happiness that’s followed. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-06-06 09:00:19 UTC ]
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