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 ]
Each year the publishing world seems to become enamored with a new strategy that will redefine the industry. In 2011, that's marketing services. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Pop-up restaurants and gourmet food trucks have become ubiquitous in many American cities, drawing in customers who follow trends, enjoy food, and don't mind waiting outside in extreme temperatures for schnitzel, grilled cheese, or fancy slushies (and actually might tweet about the whole... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 18/03/2011 - 14:52 Lonely Planet general manager for Asia Pacific Richard Samson has died today [18th March], following a battle with a terminal illness. Samson started in his latest role in Lonely Planet's Melbourne head office in June... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 01/03/2011 - 08:22 Vintage will open its doors to 30 members of the public next month to give them a glimpse into the publishing industry, as part of its 21st birthday celebrations. The open day will be held on 18th April in Vintage's offices in... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
There may not be a ton of enthusiasm in the publishing world for Apple's new policy for subscription services--particularly when it comes to giving Cupertino a... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this