Last week, Ruth Rendell claimed that reading novels is a dying art. Sadly, she might have a pointNo one can say precisely why John Williams's novel Stoner has become a bestseller almost 50 years after its first publication. After all, plenty of books, "forgotten" or otherwise, are recommended by word of mouth and yet most will not go on to sell more than a few hundred copies. And it's hard to know in what ways, if any, its story – a young man falls in love with literature and thus a new world is revealed to him – might have touched people. Many of those who rushed to buy it will not yet have got around to opening it and some will never read it. Stoner will languish on their shelves, its spine unbroken, just like Jung Chang's Wild Swans, the non-fiction hit of 1992.But still, it has given us something to think about, this dusting down of so plangent and substantial a novel. On Radio 4 last week, Ruth Rendell, the novelist and Labour peer, suggested that Stoner is a book for our times, her argument being that we live in an age when reading is for most an alien pastime, just as it is to William Stoner until he has an epiphany. (Asked to elucidate a poem by a professor, he is unable to say anything except: "It means... it means..." and yet, in this moment, everything changes; the verse, whether he understands it or not, has touched him on some powerfully deep level.) "We are told that it isn't happening," said Rendell. "But it is. Reading is no longer something that everybody... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
We can't say we know all that many people who routinely digest articles posted through Medium's social publishing platform. However, the readership is bound to go up now that the service has released an iPhone app. The mobile client is more of a... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The publishers of a weekly newspaper have issued an unreserved apology for "appearing to link football hooliganism with the Hillsborough tragedy".The latest issue of the Reading Chronicle carries a front page story, headlined "The other face of football", which says:"Football hooliganism may be... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Owner Richard Desmond agrees to officially audited figures for monthly visitors to dailystar.co.uk and express.co.ukOfficially audited traffic figures for the Daily Star and Daily Express websites have been published for the first time – ranking them bottom in the national newspaper online... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Germany's small press scene is thriving, with an eclectic mix of ambitious publishers seeking out new authors, experimenting with formats and finding audiences. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Editors from Algonquin Books, Oxford University Press and Dalkey Archive discuss the first books they acquired, in an interview with Matt Seidel for The Millions. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mobile might be the biggest transition for news organizations since the World Wide Web--and the New York Times is on it.On March 8, the New York Times unveiled a new app called NYT Now that signals a major shift in how publishers package the news. For $8 a month, NYT Now will offer users access... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Specs Who Albert Tsai Age 9 Accomplishments Stars as Bert on ABC’s Trophy Wife (Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c) Base Los Angeles I’ve read that you take all of your classes online. What’s that like? Yeah, I’m homeschooled. When I’m on set, there’s a studio teacher who helps me with my work. I like it,... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2014-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A newspaper that allowed its local police force to publish an article directly on to its website should be wary of celebrating the initiative.Torbay police posted a "story" on the site of the Torquay Herald Express, headlined "Who is this man?" over a picture of the said gentleman in a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Peter James's Host, published on two disks, was an early example – but exactly where the medium started life is surprisingly tricky to identifyWhat was the first ebook? Debate rages … When Peter James published his thriller Host on two floppy disks, in 1993, it was billed as the "world's first... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming Digiday Content Marketing Awards include a category for best publishing native advertising program. We asked presenters from our upcoming Digiday Publishing Summit to offer their insights on what makes effective native ads.The post Rising above the listicle: What makes a good native... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Our digital magazine for March focuses on ebook businesses and initiatives around the world, from sales to format, enhanced content to devices. Download your copy here. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rolling Stone Keith Richards is to publish a picture book with illustrations by his daughter.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mondadori has acquired social reading service Anobii, which has more than a million users worldwide, with its strongest base in Italy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Dickens's day, serialized novels were all the rage. Rooster aims to revive that trend, making it easier than ever to find good books (and the time to read them).In the age of abbrevs., sitting down to read a novel can feel like gearing up for a marathon, no matter how much you love books. The... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The London Review of Books has become the most successful – and controversial – literary publication in Europe. Just what is Mary-Kay Wilmers, its 75-year-old editor, getting so right?The offices of the London Review of Books are situated on the top two floors of a Georgian townhouse in the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dell's Venue 11 Pro is the first Atom-powered computer that I can picture as a replacement for my current laptop. With its two optional accessories, this 10.8-inch tablet can transform into either a small notebook or a diminutive all-in-one PC. The two-day battery life—with the optional keyboard... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Comics World, Publishers Weekly’s regular email newsletter on graphic novel and comics publishing, is increasing its frequency to twice a month. Beginning March 5 2014, the newsletter will go out on the first and third Wednesdays of every month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There is something “seriously amiss with the way secondary schools encourage young people... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The author's "Tenth of December" was fittingly the tenth winner of the short fiction award, which came with a $20,000 prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writing for The Guardian, Robert McCrum observes that “the credit crunch and the internet are making writing as a career harder than it has been for a generation.” Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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