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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Kamila Shamsie: let’s have a year of publishing only women – a provocation'


Amazon Publishing to Open European Division

Amazon's Jeff Belle announced in a letter to literary agents that Amazon Publishing will begin building a European publishing division in 2013. Hiring will begin in January. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon publishing #literary agents


Bloomberg's Licencing Chief on How to Sell Your Content to Other Publishers and Partners

If you've got content you think other publishers want to buy, what do you need to do to to make it an attractive proposition?   A good example of a successful licencing operations is Bloomberg, which provides content to more than 600 publish ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #attractive proposition


Why Publishers Need to Collaborate with Tech Companies

At the Guadalajara Book Fair, Bill McCoy of the IDPF and Pablo Defendini of Safari Books encouraged publishers to abandon DRM, and set their own prices. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tech companies #bill mccoy


Amazon to begin European publishing push from 2013

Amazon has said that it is to open a European publishing wing headquartered in Luxembourg,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Simon & Schuster gets wise to self-publishing

Simon & Schuster Inc. is getting on the self-publishing bandwagon. The book publishing division of CBS Corp. announced Tuesday that it has joined with veteran self-publishing firm Author Solutions, Inc., to form Archway Publishing, a service that will focus on writers who want to publish... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #traditional publishing #senior analyst #book industry #direct connection


Corporate to Startup: The New Publishing Career Path?

In the modern world of book publishing, should we all be preparing for a second career as an entrepreneur? Plenty of our colleagues are choosing that career path. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #career path #modern world #book publishing


S&S to launch self-publishing service with Author Solutions

Simon & Schuster has teamed up with Author Solutions to launch a self-publishing service... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #author solutions #simon schuster #self-publishing service


Nosy Crow to publish book of John Lewis Snowman ad

Children's publisher Nosy Crow has partnered with John Lewis to create a picture book of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nosy crow #publish book #john lewis #picture book


Further publisher consolidation 'inevitable'

Further major publisher consolidations will change the face of the industry in the next year,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publisher consolidation


Celebrations planned for Plath anniversary year

Publishers are planning to celebrate the life and work of Sylvia Plath on the 50th anniversary of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sylvia plath


Publishers join in Black Friday offers

Publishers have joined retailers for the first time in offering customers up to 50% off books as... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #offering customers


How Any Brand Can Become a Publisher

If an advertiser wants to jump on this whole "brands as publishers" trend, they would seem to have two choices. They can hire editors and writers and start producing lots of their own content, like GE. Or they can have junior staffers or interns spend half the day trolling the Web to find... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2012-11-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #luxury hotel #human touch #financial services


Could Tumblr Save Web Publishing?

Last month, as storm surges from Hurricane Sandy inundated lower Manhattan, Datagram, a New York-based media ISP, watched as its basement full of severs took on over five feet of water, causing major outages for prominent online publishers like Gawker Media, BuzzFeed and the Huffington Post. ... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2012-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #front door #coming months


AAM Completes Initial Certification of Adobe Digital Publishing Suite

NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Alliance for Audited Media, formerly the Audit Bureau of Circulations, has completed an initial audit of Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS), a solution that many AAM publisher members use ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audited media #audit bureau


Audit Bureau of Circulations changes name after 98 years to AAM in the US

The Audit Bureau of Circulations in the US has become the first member of IFABC to change its name in an attempt to better reflect the changes sweeping across the publishing business in the digital age, opting for the Alliance for Audited Media. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #audit bureau #publishing business #digital age #audited media


A One-Stop, Web-Based Shop For Comic Book Publishing

Graphicly abandoned their iTunes-like comic book marketplace to develop a full suite of online publishing tools for visual storytellers. As Adrian Tomine has pointed out, the one-time subculture of comics and graphic novels has migrated into the mainstream over the past decade. The... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2012-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Competition or Cooperation? News Publishers Turn to Their Neighbors

Participants at the African Media Leaders Forum in Dakar, Senegal, today heard how twinning partnerships between African newspapers, and newspapers elsewhere, are leading the way to developing successful business strategies and strengthening financia ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


In Corporate Publishing, Are E-books PDF 2.0?

The PDF is firmly entrenched in corporate culture, but as digitally savvy employees push for a sensible way to consume long documents at work the ebook format will take hold. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #corporate publishing #ebook format


A True Princess of the Publishing Industry

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi founded the Emirates Publishers Association and pushed for it to become a full member of the IPA. Here, she explains it was so important. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing industry