'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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Do These 'Instagram Husbands' Remind You of Any Poor Bastards in Your Life?

The life of an Instagram star might seem stylish and elegant, but what about the poor sidekick left holding the camera like some off-screen putz? A new video called "Instagram Husband" tells the heartbreaking (or at least relatable) story of men whose existence has dwindled into two roles:... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2015-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon releases 'Reader's Edition' tablet

Amazon US has launched a new tablet "for readers" in time for Christmas called the Fire HD 8 Reader’s Edition. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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FT to review digital publishing process after inaccurate ECB story

Newspaper publishes online article saying ECB had ‘confounded expectations’ by deciding to hold interest rates, causing euro to temporarily plummetThe Financial Times is to review its digital publishing practices after publishing an inaccurate article about the European Central Bank’s decision... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW's Top 10 Library Stories of 2015

We take a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2015, and a look ahead at what they portend for 2016. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-Readers Now “Main Attraction” at Some Kenyan Libraries

The first of a two part report from the 2015 East Africa Digital Reading Summit in Kenya looks at developments in e-reading and library ebook use. The post E-Readers Now “Main Attraction” at Some Kenyan Libraries appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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FSS ePub Reader silently installs adware?

FreeSmartSoft is the developer of a range of popular Windows freeware, including FSS Video Downloader, FSS Google Books Downloader, FSS ePub Reader and more. You’ve installed one of their packages before? Then beware: we’ve discovered they have a mechanism that can silently install adware on a... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2015-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Story of Serial's Adnan Syed to be published by Century

Rabia Chaudry is writing an insider account of the case of Adnan Syed, a case she brought to the attention of "Serial", the weekly podcast that captivated millions. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #adnan syed #rabia chaudry #insider account


Sainsbury's Brings Beloved Kids' Character to Life -- and Tops U.K. Book Sales

This week saw an unexpected new title shoot to the top of the U.K's official book charts: "Mog's Christmas Calamity," by children's author Judith Kerr. Aged 92, Kerr has penned a new book featuring "Mog," a cat beloved to generations of British kids but what's really unusual is that she wrote... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary Translator K.E. Semmel on Reacting to Readers and More

Asymptote Magazine features an interview with Danish-to-English translator K.E. Semmel about his latest book projects and more. The post Literary Translator K.E. Semmel on Reacting to Readers and More appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Gauld on short story collections – cartoon

Tom Gauld rings the changes for short fiction, following Philip Hensher’s article on creating an anthology of British short stories Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Microsoft gets into sci-fi publishing with research-inspired short stories

Microsoft is taking a novel approach to marketing its research projects with a series of free sci-fi short stories.The “Future Visions” anthology, available as a free ebook, includes stories from eight prominent science fiction authors, along with a short graphic novel and original... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook, And "Fast Company": Six Cover Stories (So Far)

Eight years ago, we featured the 22-year-old creator of a site with 19 million users. 1.5 billion members later, the adventure continues.In early 2007, Fast Company senior writer Ellen McGirt got a rush assignment from the magazine's editor, Bob Safian. Both were newcomers to the publication,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘The history of punk was always HIS story’: the women rewriting rock

Music memoirs by artists such as Chrissie Hynde and Viv Albertine have taken the publishing world by storm, satisfying a hunger for less-told rock tales and changing our idea of what it means to be an ‘older woman’In 2010, at a Welsh literary festival, an editor got chatting to a 55-year-old... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New French Vending Machines Dispense Free Short Stories

Eight Short Edition vending machines are being set up throughout Grenoble, France to dispense free short stories to the reading public. The post New French Vending Machines Dispense Free Short Stories appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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FX renews 'American Horror Story' for a sixth installment

They’ve done ghosts and zombies and vampires and ghosts and freaks and witches and also ghosts, but co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk will have to come up with a brand-new spooky concept as FX renews “American Horror Story” for a sixth season. The first four seasons of the popular... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jennifer Hayden Tells 'The Story of My Tits'

Jennifer Hayden's graphic memoir, 'The Story of My Tits', is not just a history of surviving breast cancer, it's the story of her life. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Little Black Fish and other stories: Iranian illustrated children's books – in pictures

David Almond introduces a gallery that opens doors into the stunning illustrated children’s books coming out of Iran including The Little Black Fish, a book that is beloved in Iran and now published in the UK for the first time Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic Promotes Diversity in Books for Young Readers

The Scholastic Reading Club and We Need Diverse Books are promoting a list of 75 titles for middle-grade readers featuring diverse characters and plots. The post Scholastic Promotes Diversity in Books for Young Readers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Audio Book Club Weeps Over A Little Life

To listen to the Audio Book Club discussion of A Little Life, click the arrow on the player below. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bringing the Qur’an to Life in America: Sandow Birk

In ‘American Qur’an,' graphic artist Birk illustrates the Qur'an in renderings that blend Islam with Americana. The result is a book he hopes changes readers' minds about the sacred text. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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