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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E-book discounts appearing at Amazon following publisher settlement

Wow. Judge Denise Cote certainly knows how to put a spring in the step of mega corporations. Mere days have passed since she ordered HarperCollins to let retailers to set their own ebook prices, and yet already Kindle bestsellers from that publisher are selling for around $9.99 -- in some cases... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EUP & Boydell join University Publishing Online

Edinburgh University Press and Boydell & Brewer have joined Cambridge University Press'... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-reader numbers 'set to rise 70%' this year

Publishers are readying themselves to respond to an explosion of e-reading devices in the UK in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book settlement has publishing world in turmoil

The price-fixing case turns out well for Amazon but unsettles many others in the industry.Publishing insiders worry that a decisive court ruling benefiting retailer Amazon.com Inc. will undermine an industry already struggling with the transition to ebooks. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Judge approves publishers' settlement over ebooks

A judge has approved the settlement in the US of three publishers accused of conspiring to fix... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Weldon Owen Adds Publishing To Its Packaging Credentials

It’s been six years since the privately held Swedish media company Bonnier acquired Weldon Owen, the San Francisco company known for its packaging program built for retail clients as diverse as Williams-Sonoma and Hallmark. In that time, said Terry Newell, CEO and president of Weldon Owen—now... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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French Publishers Want to Charge Google for Republishing Articles

French publishers have relaunched a discussion about the republishing of headlines and the first paragraph of articles by Google and other search engines without... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Cruel Paradox of Self-Publishing

Digital and print-on-demand technology has made self-publishing much easier. But for every self-published work that gains traction, the overwhelming majority of books don't. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How French Publishers Are Fighting Back Against Facebook and Google's Display Ad Dominance

The battle to keep online advertising yields and returns high in a market of infinite volume and little scarcity rages on. But some publishers are deciding that it's not their fellow broadcasters, magazines and newspaper who are the problem but t ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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FastStats: Publishing Industry Statistics, News and Trends

Smartphone Junkies Would you admit not being able to live without your smartphone? Over two-thirds of respondents to a recent survey by the Online Publisher's Association did just that. The survey, conducted online with 2,540... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2012-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book price-fixing: three publishers agree to pay $69 million to consumers

Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster say they will pay consumers to settle claims they conspired to fix ebook prices. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Beef Up Digital Deals

In recent weeks a number of big consumer magazine and newspaper publishers have expanded their ability to deliver digital advertising in a variety of formats with acquisitions and investments in digital ad platforms. The deals continue a long-term tr ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EU investigation: publishers 'concede ebook discounts'

Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette Livre and Macmillan owner Verlugsgruppe Georg von... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book Publishers Reach $69 Million Settlement With States

Three book publishers will pay more than US$69 million to U.S. states to settle charges they collaborated to fix prices of ebooks. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US publishers face $69m payout for price-fixing

Hachette US, HarperCollins US and Simon & Schuster US have agreed to pay out a total of more... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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States reach $69 million settlement with three publishers in ebook price fixing case

When the US Department of Justice sued Apple and five major book publishers over alleged ebook price rigging, it immediately became clear that a few of these companies would do just about anything to avoid trial. That same day, three of the publishers -- HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing inks deal with Ingram, opens ebook distribution to rivals

Amazon Publishing is continuing to broaden its distribution channels, as the New York-based imprint has formed a partnership with Ingram Content Group that will make the company's ebooks available to competitors such as Apple, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. As you may be aware, there's some uneasy... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Cabinet Backs Law That Could Allow News Publishers to Sue Google

The German cabinet gave its backing Wednesday to a draft law extending copyright protection to snippets of news articles republished by search engines, although... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries battle with ebook publishers

Libraries are having to engage in new discussions with publishers and booksellers over electronic books, similar to those already settled in the printed-book world and with loans of CDs and DVDs, says Association of Public Library Managers chair Ian Littleworth. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Publishers in Online Copyright Fight

Step into a German cafe and you'll likely find most of your fellow customers leafing through a newspaper or magazine. The consumption of printed media here borders on the voracious - and it's comparatively rare to find your neighbour flicking ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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