Kamila Shamsie: let’s have a year of publishing only women – a provocation

It is clear that there is a gender bias in publishing houses and the world of books. Well, enough. Why not try something radical? Make 2018 the Year of Publishing Women, in which no new titles should be by menSeveral years ago, Martin Amis chaired a literary festival panel on “The Crisis of American Fiction” with Richard Ford, Jay McInerney and Junot Díaz. I was in the audience, and halfway through the discussion leaned over to the person sitting next to me and said: “Clearly the crisis of American fiction is that there are no women in it.” It’s not just that there weren’t any women on the stage. In the entire discussion, which lasted nearly an hour, there was no mention of Toni Morrison, Marilynne Robinson, Annie Proulx, Anne Tyler, Donna Tartt, Jhumpa Lahiri or any other contemporary female writer. A single reference to Eudora Welty was the only acknowledgment that women in the US have ever had anything to do with the world of letters. Díaz, near the end of the hour, made the point that the conversation had centred on white American males, but it was too little, too late.I think of this panel when reading yet another article or survey about the gender imbalance that exists in publishing houses, in terms of reviews, top positions in publishing houses, literary prizes etc. The issue can’t of course be broken down into a story of fair-minded women versus bigoted men. Like any effective system of power – and patriarchy is, over time and space, the world’s most effective... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #anne tyler #donna tartt #jhumpa lahiri #gender imbalance #top positions #literary prizes #effective system #win prizes

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Insight: How Three UK Publishers Are Finally Making The Most Of Digital

For the first time in a long time some optimism is returning to the publishing industry. Circulation numbers and revenues were decimated by the rise of the internet and while the future for print still looks shaky, the companies behind newspapers and ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PublishNews Brazil: Brasilia Debates the Future of Digital Publishing

In this week's PublishNews Brazil, we look at Brasilia's debate on future of digital publishing, FNLIJ's awards for kid's lit, and Brazil's turn as the focus of the Gothenburg Book Fair in 2014. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell’s plans expansion this year

Blackwell’s plans to expand its store portfolio this year, starting with a site at Derby... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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INscribe Signs Eight New Publishers

E-book distributor INscribe Digital has added a number of new publishing partners, taking on publishers in the university press, Christian publishing, and Spanish-language areas. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon launches Kindle Worlds publishing platform for fan fiction, will pay royalties to writers and rights holders

Amazon's taken a number of steps to bring different types of content to the Kindle Store, and it's now venturing into an area that has a long history with the internet: fan fiction. The company's today announced Kindle Worlds, a new publishing platform that promises to pay writers royalties for... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why I Publish Ebooks on Paper for South Africans

Arthur Attwell, founder of Paperight, explains why his company has leveraged the network of photocopy shops throughout South Africa to cater to hard-to-reach readers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish ebooks #south africa


L,B's Blackfriars to publish crowd-sourced digital novel

Little, Brown's Blackfriars digital-only imprint will publish a novel created by authors... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Willetts: Publishers add 'genuine value'

Universities minister David Willetts this week praised the “genuine added value” of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Innovation Taking the Publishing Business Beyond Borders

Smart publishers are thinking of their business as global instead of local. This may come as a surprise to some who see it as a novelty instead of the norm. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple's E-Book Argument: Deals With Publishers Improved Competition

By negotiating for an agency pricing model with publishers, Apple says, it was simply seeking to enter a new market and offer competitive prices. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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MEI Portico Version 2.5 for Adobe Digital Publishing Suite Now Available

Jenkintown, PA (May 14, 2013) — MEI Portico™ version 2.5 has been released today as part of Managing Editor Inc.’s lineup of solutions for digital publishers. MEI's Portico delivers a tailored app experience ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are Publishers in South Korea Gaming Their Bestseller Lists?

Allegations of stockpiling and best-seller list manipulation have rocked the publishing world in South Korea as publishers combat decreasing book sales. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In ebook case, Apple says publishers had already taken measures to counter Amazon

Concerned about Amazon.com's low pricing of ebooks, publishers had taken measures as early as 2009 such as "windowing," a practice of delaying ebook releases to benefit sales of hardcover editions, Apple said in a filing in an ebook price-fixing lawsuit.The U.S. Department of Justice in an... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple tells DOJ: 'we negotiated individually with publishers'

Apple has responded to the US Department of Justice's charge that it conspired with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-published book among Commonwealth regional winners

A self-published author has featured among the regional winners of the Commonwealth Book Prize.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After 37 Years, Winton Steps Back

After spending 37 years in the publishing industry, including the last five as chairman, CEO, and publisher of Counterpoint LLC, Charlie Winton turned over the publisher reins at the press to Rolph Blythe on May 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers round on Dangdang over free ebooks

Chinese publishing houses, long frustrated by the sale of pirated books in the country, have... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Condé Nast scraps Easy Living magazine after eight years

Condé Nast's is closing its Easy Living print edition, despite being the only paid-for glossy magazine from a major publisher to increase its circulation in the last six months of 2012. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2013-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gloomy Outlook Persists for Newspaper Publishers Torstar and Quebecor

(Reuters) - Canadian newspaper publishers Torstar Corp and Quebecor Inc delivered more bad news to investors on Wednesday, saying that cost cuts were failing to keep pace with an accelerating decline in print media revenue. Torstar sha ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big Data and MOOCs Herald Change for Academic Publishers

This year's US Innovations Seminar of the International Association of STM Publishers focused on the impact of data mining, MOOCs and new author/researcher tools. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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