'Reader's Digest' Wants Your Life Story in 150 Words or Less

Oh boy, do I have a contest for you long-winded Facebookers and personal bloggers. It's called, "Your Life: The Reader's Digest Version." The venerable magazine is willing to shell out $25,000 if you can keep The Story of You to a crisp and compelling 150 words (words, not characters—this isn't Twitter). Hell, I'd fork over that much if certain "friends" would stop sending me six-page family missives disguised as Christmas cards. Short and sweet, people! You are not that interesting. Jane Lynch, star of Glee and host of next month's Emmy Awards, gets the ball rolling with her own abbreviated life story on the magazine's Facebook page (see it after the jump). Shame, it sounds nothing like her caustic Sue Sylvester character from the Fox musical. Rather, it's an earnest promo-within-a-promo for Lynch's memoir, Happy Accidents, dropping in September. More celebrities with books to hawk will follow. But if Lynch, a sought-after, award-winning actress (Best in Show, Role Models, Party Down), can give a snapshot into her psyche within just a few sentences, so can you. I'd be even happier with a haiku. Jane Lynch's entry: "At the tender age of 50, I realized that I had the family, friends and the acting career I had always wanted. I had suffered on the way, feeling out of place, overcontrolling and drinking too much, but all that suffering had not fueled anything useful. The good things were a result of happy accidents that I had been willing, and let's hope smart enough, to... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #award-winning actress #role models #tender age #acting career #good things #stay open

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BEA 2016: Booksellers Talk Up Their Favorite Books for Young Readers

While there are always plenty of big books and authors from major publishers at BEA, in talking to frontline booksellers and librarians we found a lot of interest in books from smaller houses as well. Here we present a sampling of the books that especially caught the eyes of conventiongoers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big books #young readers #major publishers


BEA 2016: Beth Macy: An Untold Story

Beth Macy, the author of the New York Times bestseller Factory Man, is known for writing about marginalized people and outsiders. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #untold story


Atlantic buys low-waged life account from Bloodworth

Political commentator James Bloodworth is to write Hired, a book exploring the realities of low-wage life in the UK, for Atlantic Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book exploring #atlantic books


Publishers to tell Hillsborough disaster victims' stories

Publishers Amberley, Faber & Faber and Ebury are bringing out titles on the Hillsborough disaster after justice prevailed for the victims and their families 27 years on.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Henry Holt & Company Celebrates 150 Years

Henry Holt & Company has undergone a number of incarnations since it was formed in 1866, when Henry Holt partnered with Frederic Leypoldt to publish books under the name Leypoldt & Holt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publish books


Amazon Introduces Kindle Oasis Premium E-reader

The Kindle Oasis is the eighth edition of Amazon's Kindle e-reading devices and is designed to be lighter, thinner and offers a new dual battery system. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle oasis


Facebook delivers new ways for publishers make money (and get readers) from Instant Articles

Facebook is trying to sweeten the deal for Instant Articles publishers. At its F8 developers conference today. the social network showed off expected new video ads, which can go right into Instant Articles. It also discussed its new branded content policies, which allow publishers to create... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2016-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital in Thailand: A Few Words Before LBF with Trasvin Jittidecharak

In a region with undependable publishing and distribution, self-publishing is not unusual, says Thailand's Trasvin Jittidecharak ahead of London Book Fair. The post Digital in Thailand: A Few Words Before LBF with Trasvin Jittidecharak appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seven Stories Rushing Political Bios to Capitalize on Election Season

After the success of Ted Rall's 'Bernie,' the publisher has commissioned works on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to drop during this election cycle. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #election season #commissioned works #hillary clinton


Random House Germany Courts Romance Readers

Random House Germany recently launched an online community for romance readers and a literary festival to connect romance writers to their fans. The post Random House Germany Courts Romance Readers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online community #romance readers #literary festival


Jacks Thomas: A Few Words With London Book Fair’s Director

'My personal highlight will be meeting the amazing Judith Kerr,' Jacks Thomas tell us in a pre-London Book Fair chat. She's readying, again, 'a global platform' for the books industry. The post Jacks Thomas: A Few Words With London Book Fair’s Director appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jacks thomas #global platform #books industry


At Wizarding World of Harry Potter, magic comes to life, or as close as it gets

In hero-quest terms, the recovery of the Sorcerer's Stone was Harry Potter's first big win, even though he didn't get to keep it. By the time Harry woke up after his first battle with You Know Who, the stone, with all its life-extending and gold-producing properties, had, in fact, been destroyed.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2016-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wizarding world #harry potter #big win


AWP 2016 in Photos: Publishers, Writers, and Readers Meet Up in L.A.

Photos from the book fair and panels at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs annual conference, held this year at the L.A. Convention center in downtown Los Angeles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book fair #convention center


Penguin Life acquires Micromaster at auction

Penguin Life has acquired world rights to a book on the power and joy of learning small, specific skills by author and adventure traveller Robert Twigger. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Portugal’s Book Market: A Few Words With Patricia Seibel

While taking stock of lagging literacy rates and persistent economic challenges, literary agent Patricia Seibel still sees quality and a loyalty to literary fiction as hallmarks of Portugal's resilient market. The post Portugal’s Book Market: A Few Words With Patricia Seibel appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post portugal #book market #taking stock #literary fiction


A (Moving) Picture is Worth 1,000 Words, isn’t it?

The Truth in Publishing: An insider's series on the challenges facing today's publisher. The post A (Moving) Picture is Worth 1,000 Words, isn’t it? appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2016-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Audible UK sponsors short story salon

Audible UK has signed a deal to sponsor events organised by Pin Drop, the short story salon founded by curator Simon Oldfield and writer Elizabeth Day. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bobby Charlton's World Cup Story to Yellow Jersey

Yellow Jersey Press is to publish Sir Bobby Charlton's account of "England's greatest sporting achievement" - the 1966 Football World Cup. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #yellow jersey


Patterson to target new readers with brief 'BookShots'

James Patterson is to target new avenues for selling books with a series of shorter, cheaper novels he is calling BookShots, the New York Times has reported. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #james patterson #selling books


'Untold story' of Ripper victims to Doubleday

Doubleday, an imprint of Transworld, has acquired the latest non-fiction book by Hallie Rubenhold, writer of BBC TV drama "The Scandalous Lady W". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #untold story