'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

Other Publishing stories related to: ''Reader's Digest' Wants Your Life Story in 150 Words or Less'


Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ reimagines the life and death of Shakespeare’s only son

Unintimidated by the Bard’s canon, O’Farrell creates Shakespeare before the radiance of veneration obscured everyone around him. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-07-21 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Five Japanese Authors Share Their Favorite Murakami Short Stories

This past weekend in Japan, Haruki Murakami released his new story collection Ichininshō Tansū (The First Person Singular). The collection comprises eight stories, seven of which were first published in the literary magazine Bungakukai between summer 2018 and winter 2020. Many of these... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-20 08:49:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #first-person stories #past weekend #person singular #literary magazine


Century scores Southgate's 'inspirational life lessons'

PRH imprint Century is publishing an "inspirational book of life lessons" for young people and parents by England football manager Gareth Southgate. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-16 20:09:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inspirational book #life lessons


Bonnier Books UK to release 500 Words: Black Lives Matter

Bonnier Books UK is releasing 500 Words: Black Lives Matter, a book featuring short stories children have submitted to a Chris Evans-devised Virgin Radio competition this month. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-16 10:43:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short stories #bonnier


Coronavirus Impact: Nielsen Book India on Readers in the Pandemic

Nielsen Book's extensive survey of India's consumer behavior in and after lockdowns reveals shifts in the time spent reading–and listening–for publishers. The post Coronavirus Impact: Nielsen Book India on Readers in the Pandemic appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-07-15 14:45:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pandemic appeared #coronavirus impact #consumer behavior #nielsen #nielsen book


Mary Morris is best known for her travels, but she has plenty of lessons for life in isolation

Morris’s book “All the Way to the Tigers” intertwines the story of her travels to India with the tale of being stuck at home with a broken ankle. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-07-15 13:39:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Kobo's new entry-level e-reader is the $100 Nia

Rakuten’s Kobo readers are still hanging around to compete with Amazon’s Kindle lineup, and the company just unveiled a new model. The Kobo Nia is an entry-level reader with a six-inch, 1,024 x 758 Carta E Ink display (with Kobo’s ComfortLight front... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-07-15 10:05:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle lineup #ink display #kindle


A.H. Kim’s ‘A Good Family’ is a domestic suspense that will keep readers guessing

Savvy readers know from the get-go that the title of Kim’s debut thriller must be ironic. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-07-15 05:17:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #domestic suspense #debut thriller


Yellow Kite pre-empts journo's life hacks learned from the experts

Yellow Kite has pre-empted journalist Erin Zammett Ruddy's The Little Book of Life Skills, billed as "an expert guide to getting your life in order".  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-13 11:44:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #yellow kite


And Other Stories scoops Mona Arshi's debut

And Other Stories is set to publish the debut novel of British poet and former human rights lawyer Mona Arshi.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-13 11:07:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #british poet #debut novel


Why the President Didn’t Want the World to Read Mary Trump’s Story

The new memoir takes you inside a dysfunctional American family—and into Donald Trump’s mind. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2020-07-09 19:25:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #memoir takes #memoir


M&A Update: MJH Life Sciences Buys Another B2B Magazine

MJH Life Sciences, the New Jersey-based medical publisher that expanded dramatically last year in a $100 million acquisition of the former UBM Life Sciences portfolio from Informa plc, announced another purchase on Thursday: Pharmaceutical Commerce, a trade magazine and digital outlet serving... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-07-09 18:18:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ma wire #-based publisher #majority stake #advertising partners #existing properties #home town


Illustrating Nick Carraway’s Infatuation with New York City High Life

The following is excerpted from The Great Gatsby: The Graphic Novel. * __________________________________ From The Great Gatsby: The Graphic Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Copyright © 1925 by Charles Scribner’s Sons. Copyright renewed 1953 by Frances Scott Fitzgerald Lanahan. Adapted Text and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-09 08:47:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great gatsby #scott fitzgerald #simon schuster #graphic novel


Memorial Celebrates Life of S&S's Carolyn Reidy

A memorial for Carolyn Reidy, who died on May 12, celebrated the life of the publisher. Speakers included former colleagues, as well as authors, including Doris Kearns Goodwin and Hillary Clinton. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #carolyn reidy #hillary clinton


Camilla Läckberg’s ‘The Golden Cage’ is a psychological suspense story about vile people doing vile things

Läckberg has been dubbed “the Swedish Agatha Christie” — but Christie never wrote sex scenes like this. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-07-06 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Niamh Campbell wins £30,000 Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award

Niamh Campbell has been awarded the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award for her "original and touching" piece "Love Many". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-02 16:30:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #niamh campbell


Redundancy consultation for 150 staff at W H Smith head offices

One hundred and fifty members of staff at W H Smith's head offices in London and Swindon have entered redundancy consultations, the retailer has confirmed to The Bookseller. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-02 04:43:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #w h smith


A Cartoonist’s Life: PW Speaks with Adrian Tomine

Adrian Tomine's new graphic memoir 'The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist,' dissects authorial insecurity and self-doubt with a series of alternately hilarious and painful true-life anecdotes. The book will be published this month by D&Q. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pw speaks #adrian tomine #graphic memoir


Sceptre buys story of internment camp 'like no other'

Sceptre is set to publish non-fiction title The Island of Extraordinary Captives by Simon Parkin in 2022.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-29 20:07:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #internment camp


Kritika Pandey wins 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Indian author Kritika Pandey has been announced as the overall winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-29 13:25:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indian author