'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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The new Kindle reader -- bang for your buck [Review]

If you have grown tired of hardback and paperback books, then a Kindle may be your answer. Coincidentally, Amazon has released two new models, a standard and the Voyage, which my colleague Brian Fagioli reviewed recently. These complement the existing Paperwhite, which has not yet been updated.... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paperback books #ll find #ll discuss


Unseen Patrick O’Brian sea stories to launch in December

Master and Commander author’s early nautical stories – Noughts and Crosses, Two’s Company and No Pirates Nowadays – return to print after 80 yearsThree virtually unknown short stories by Patrick O’Brian of derring-do on the high seas, featuring everything from shark fishing on the Great Barrier... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #high seas #publisher harpercollins


Dan Brown on the Writing Life as a Global Megaseller

What's it like to sell over 200 million books worldwide? Dan Brown speaks with Publishing Perspectives about his writing life in the wake of enormous success. The post Dan Brown on the Writing Life as a Global Megaseller appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tom Weldon: 'Book readers don't want subscription'

Penguin Random House's c.e.o. Tom Weldon has said the company will not be exploring subscription, as he is not convinced it is what readers want. Weldon, in conversation with The Bookseller's editor Philip Jones at today's FutureBook conference, said PRH UK is betting on three things for the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tom weldon #futurebook conference #prh uk #connecting authors


Movellas looks to publish community's stories

Movellas is actively looking to find more books written by community members that it can take to the market, c.e.o. Joe Cohen told the FutureBook Conference today (14th November). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #books written


Amazon's Kindle e-readers learn some new tricks -- download the update now!

I get it -- you own a tablet and don't think you need a dedicated e-ink based e-reader. While I respect your opinion, I must tell you that it is wrong. Sure, reading a book on a back-lit LCD display is passable, but hardly a good experience. Not only can this be fatiguing to your eyes, but most... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #direct sunlight


Self-publishing 'has revealed readers' true interests'

Self-publishing has made it clear that “readers want very different things to what publishers in London and Manhattan think readers want”, Orna Ross of the Alliance of Independent Authors has said. Speaking at an event debating the best route to publishing for authors, Ross said... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #orna ross #independent authors #including books


Jaguar's Google Glass App Brings Print Ads to Life

Jaguar has a clever way to take you inside the plot of its latest villain-themed campaign. Today, the brand is linking print ads in Condé Nast's Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveler, GQ and Wired magazines to digital content through the Blippar app for Google Glass and mobile devices. The app is... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv commercials #photo gallery #web video


Pubs, Booksellers, Digesting HC Canada Moves

Canadian publishers and booksellers are still digesting last week’s news that HarperCollins Canada will be getting out of the distribution business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #canadian publishers #harpercollins canada #distribution business


Still looking for a scary story post-Halloween? Booksellers have a suggestion for you

In a recent survey by industry newsletter Shelf Awareness, the novel 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' by Shirley Jackson was booksellers' top pick for a great spooky tale. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #recent survey #shirley jackson


Hanks to publish typewriter stories

Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks is to publish a book of short stories inspired by his personal collection of vintage typewriters. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adobe's e-reader software collects less data now, EFF says

Tests on the latest version of Adobe System’s e-reader software shows the company is now collecting less data following a privacy-related dustup last month, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.Digital Editions version 4.0.1 appears to only collect data on ebooks that have DRM... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #collect data #latest version #early october #plain text


Snaith wins Bristol Short Story Prize

Leicester-based writer Mahsuda Snaith has won the 2014 Bristol Short Story Prize for her work "The Art of Flood Survival". Snaith, announced as the winner of the £1,000 prize on Saturday (25th October), beat almost 2,500 other entrants from more than 60 countries to win the competition. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Short stories from Kuwait win EIBF award

A short story collection by Kuwaiti author Mai Al-Nakib has won the 2014 Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short stories #book award


“The West is Running Out of Stories,” say Africans

With Port Harcourt, Nigeria serving as UNESCO World Book Capital 2014, African book publishers consider the future for Africa's writers. The post “The West is Running Out of Stories,” say Africans appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Heart of Everything That Is' finds new life in paperback format

'Heart,' the nonfiction story of the Native American leader Red Cloud, was well-received critically upon its release and has now become a bestseller in its paperback format. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guardian Faber signs story of Greenpeace activists

Guardian Faber has acquired a non-fiction book covering the experience of the Greenpeace protestors who endured two months in a Russian prison. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #greenpeace activists #guardian faber


Walker to publish Shadowhunter stories, plus more Nelson

Walker Books has acquired a new collection of short stories based on a character from Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series.  Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy is a group of 10 stories centred around the character Simon Lewis as he enters training to become a Shadowhunter.   The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #walker books #cassandra clare


Frankfurt Book Fair 2014: How to Outcompete Amazon? Think 'Reader'

Chris Kubica argues that the book business has so far been too content to put the future of reading in the hands of others, and offers 8 ideas to change that. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business