'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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Where’s Waldo the Reader? Book Discovery Tactics from IDPF

Executives from Goodreads, HarperCollins, and Penguin Random House shared book discovery tactics in the age of overload at BEA's IDPF conference on Tuesday. The post Where’s Waldo the Reader? Book Discovery Tactics from IDPF appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Hashtag' crowned kids' 'word of the year'

Oxford University Press has chosen hashtag as its ‘children’s word of the year’ because of its significant use in the 500 Words 2015 competition. The 500 Words competition was launched by presenter Chris Evans on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show in 2011, and is for stories of 500 words or less by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Early Favorites for Young Readers

As booksellers, librarians, and publishers descended on the Javits Center for the first full day of BookExpo America, there was strong early interest across all age ranges and genres, including adult books with YA crossover and vice versa. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2015: Amazon: Is It Good For Readers?

The impact of Amazon on the book business is a longstanding, ongoing debate. But is Amazon good for readers? That’s the topic of this afternoon’s discussion at this year’s International Digital Publishing Forum conference. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Amazon Good for Readers?

A panel at the IDPF Digital Book Conference this Wednesday asks, is Amazon good for readers? Tell us what you think. The post Is Amazon Good for Readers? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short story competition for No Exit

Oldcastle Books is launching a new short story competition for its crime fiction imprint No Exit Press as part of Oldcastle’s 30th anniversary celebrations. The competition will launch on 25th May to mark the publication of Leigh Russell’s latest novel, Killer Plan. It will be open to any... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook signs deal to directly publish news stories

Facebook has reached a deal with New York Times and eight other media outlets to post stories directly to the social network's mobile news feeds, as publishers strive for new ways to expand their reach. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big Publishers Will Now Post Stories Straight to Facebook

The New York Times, Buzzfeed, and others are now posting stories straight to Facebook. But how will that affect what news you see? The post Big Publishers Will Now Post Stories Straight to Facebook appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Transworld wins auction for Gárdos love story

Transworld has acquired a post-Holocaust love story by Hungarian author Péter Gárdos, said to be "the talk of London Book Fair", in a nine-way auction.   Jane Lawson, editorial director at Doubleday, bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Australia New Zealand, for Fever at Dawn, in a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sarah lutyens #jane lawson #bought uk #excluding australia #michael heyward #text publishing


Book trade digests Tory win

The book trade is facing more library cuts and an uncertain future in Europe and at the department for Business, Industry and Skills, industry figures say, as they digest the results of the general election, emerging overnight. The Conservatives have racked up 330 seats for an overall majority,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Story of mother on trial to Mantle

Mantle associate publisher Sam Humphreys has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Mother by Yvvette Edwards from Eve White. The book follows a mother attending the trial of the boy accused of killing her teenage son. Mantle will publish spring 2016. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #acquired uk #eve white #teenage son


The Little Prince inscribed first edition goes on sale for £150,000

Early copy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic story features drawing and note of thanks to Dorothy Barclay, a reporter’s assistant who helped him estimate for the number of stars visible from Earth“I am concerned with matters of consequence,” declares the star-gazing businessman whom Antoine... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pitch Session: The Story Meeting Has Evolved

Publishers have figured out that audiences want different things from print and digital products, but the newsroom has lagged behind. The post Pitch Session: The Story Meeting Has Evolved appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yiyun Li wins Sunday Times short story award

Chinese-American author Yiyun Li is the first female winner of the £30,000 Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award for her story "A Sheltered Woman". Director Richard Eyre presented Li with her winner's cheque at the Stationers’ Hall this evening (Friday 24th April). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Dawson: Another Amazon KDP Success Story

After failing with traditional publishing, thriller writer Mark Dawson has struck gold with Amazon KDP, selling more than 300,000 copies of his novels. The post Mark Dawson: Another Amazon KDP Success Story appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Past, Present, Future: Behind the Launch of Rodale’s Organic Life

A Q&A with James Oseland, EIC, and Ellen Carucci, publisher, of the new eco-lifestyle magazine. The post Past, Present, Future: Behind the Launch of Rodale’s Organic Life appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mass redistribution of words: World Book Night prepares for UK-wide book giveaway

Over 7,000 people have volunteered to donate one of a shortlist of 20 books to the 35% of the population who are not regular readersA quarter of a million books are due to find new homes tonight, as thousands of book-lovers hit the streets to give away their favourite titles as part of World... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brontë-inspired short stories to Borough

The Borough Press has acquired a collection of short stories inspired by Charlotte Brontë, edited by Tracy Chevalier. Authors contributing stories for the collection, Reader, I Married Him, include Helen Dunmore, Susan Hill and Emma Donoghue. Each will use Brontë's famous line from Jane Eyre as... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' Gets New Life

When the movie 'Me and Earl and the Dying Girl' – adapted by Jesse Andrews from his 2012 novel of the same name—opens in theaters June 12, it does so already riding a wave of impressive early success. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Cookbook Love Story: PW Talks to the ‘Honey & Co.’ Husband and Wife Duo

The owners of London's Honey & Co. on food, what makes a good cookbook, and plans for bringing their own cookbook stateside. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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