As Black Lives Matter protests take place across the world, the publishing world is rushing to support those ‘ignored by the mainstream’. Who is the mainstream, then?The publishing industry is stilted and archaic. I worked in it for seven years, and left due to reasons I can’t legally talk about. Though, in that time, I was able to enforce and oversee some steps towards sustainable change. At 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins, I started the Guardian 4th Estate BAME Short Story prize (still going strong, five years later). Staggered by the lack of underrepresented voices, I knew I had to do something, anything to give those voices a way to permeate the industry.It is taken for granted that would-be writers will know what a literary agent is. But most have no idea how to structure a book proposal, or where to send it. This information is possessed by those in the know, and the people in the know often want to keep it to themselves. Let’s talk about literary agents for a second; they are, effectively, tastemakers. Editors trust them to deliver books and authors that adhere to their (sometimes limited) taste. And what happens when these arbiters continue to work within the circles of writers who they already know? The same thing that always happens: books that follow trends, that look the same, that are written by the same kinds of people. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-11 09:44:22 UTC ]
The mainstream publishing industry is intimidating. How does a writer break in? Follow Jessamine Chan’s “The School for Good Mothers” through the roller coaster of its creation. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-08-25 18:20:53 UTC ]
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Hollywood can’t resist a literary adaptation. Frontlist, backlist—it’s all fodder for screenplays. The publishing world itself also feeds the insatiable page-to-screen pipeline: from 1930s and ’40s screwball satires about newspaper reporters (His Girl Friday, Meet John Doe, Mr. Deeds Goes to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-18 08:53:31 UTC ]
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A survey released by the Association of American Literary Agents has found that 87% of respondents oppose the acquisition of Simon & Schuster by Penguin Random House, citing, among their chief concerns, that the deal would result in “less competition” for titles and “lower advances.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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After she was dropped by her agent, Alex Aster turned to a books-obsessed corner of TikTok to gauge interest in her YA novel … and now Lightlark is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the yearHaving finally published her first novel, Alex Aster was feeling disheartened. The book had... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-16 13:32:30 UTC ]
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Madeline McIntosh argued that the publishing industry extends far beyond its biggest players, and that the government has focused on a tiny sliver of deals. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-08-15 22:30:20 UTC ]
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As Salman Rushdie struggles with his injuries, the world publishing industry demands protection for the freedom to publish. The post Rushdie Attack: IPA Calls for ‘Redoubling Our Commitment’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-15 14:59:48 UTC ]
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Richard Charkin offers 'a heartfelt apology,' writing that he now finds literary agents 'trusted go-betweens and understanding partners.' The post Richard Charkin: Dear Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-08-10 17:00:17 UTC ]
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Allow a budget of £4,000 to do-it-yourself, from the editing and design through to marketing“A top-of-her-game literary agent tells us she receives about 3,000 submissions a year,” says Joe Sedgwick, the head of writing services at The Literary Consultancy. “Of those, she requests to see the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-09 06:00:19 UTC ]
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In 2008, after 13 years together, my literary agent and I parted ways. (To preserve her anonymity, let’s call her Michael Ovitz.) Between 1995 and 2002, Michael Ovitz sold two of my novels, including my debut, Hunger Point. By any measure, our partnership was a terrific success. Michael Ovitz... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-05 08:53:09 UTC ]
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In a changing of the guard, the Association of American Literary Agents has named a new director, with Jennifer Weltz stepping into a role that Gail Hochman had occupied for 20 years. With the move, the Jean V Naggar Literary agent becomes the next president of the board of the professional... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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With oral arguments set to begin on August 1, the closely watched case holds major implications for a publishing industry grappling with consolidation and for government regulators facing growing calls for more vigilant antitrust enforcement. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-07-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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#BookTok, where enthusiastic readers share reading recommendations, has gone from being a novelty to becoming an anchor in the publishing industry and a dominant driver of fiction sales. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-07-01 13:38:09 UTC ]
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News of rights sales from publishers and literary agents today come from England, Norway, Finland, Italy, and Germany. The post Rights Roundup: It Is Still Good To Be Max Seeck appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-06-17 21:18:39 UTC ]
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Forefront Books and the Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives are teaming up to form Frederick Douglass Books, a publishing imprint meant to “establish a pathway for Black and Brown authors” into the publishing industry, the two organizations announced in a press release last week. The imprint... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-06-16 13:04:40 UTC ]
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Panelists addressing the issue of what a healthy publishing industry looks like concluded that, while the industry is suffering some severe aches and pains, creative remedies could bolster the book business—as long as industry leaders are willing to reimagine old formulas. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Association of American Literary Agents has expanded its membership criteria and canon of ethics in an effort to create, as it explained, a "more equitable, participatory, diverse, and inclusive publishing community." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-05-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In March 2021, my mother, Nancy Bourne, a lifelong nonsmoker, died of lung cancer. Two weeks before that, though, as she cycled in and out of hospital wards, she was on her laptop sending off a flurry of query letters to literary agents asking for their help in selling her first novel. Six... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-05-06 08:52:38 UTC ]
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Books about books have always been super popular, but there are a lot of romance novels set in the publishing world in 2022. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-04-29 10:34:00 UTC ]
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The MSNBC counter-terrorism expert and former US navy servicemember discusses his decision to take up arms in UkraineMalcolm Nance, MSNBC’S former military and counter-terrorism expert, is always fighting someone.As a personal and professional acquaintance of Nance, I wasn’t the least bit... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-04-29 10:00:38 UTC ]
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As Friday's opening of the 2022 in-person Festival du Livre de Paris approaches, Catherine Nabokov talks about nurturing 14 writers' work. The post France’s Catherine Nabokov: An Editor in Business as a Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-04-20 20:27:46 UTC ]
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