'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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Comma scoops Constantine's fifth short story collection

Author of the Oscar-nominated film “45 Years” David Constantine has signed a deal for a collection of short stories, The Dressing-up Box, with Comma Press. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hegarty moves to Hachette Children’s for young reader series

Hachette Children’s Group will this year publish the first series for young readers by Shane Hegarty, author of Darkmouth (HarperCollins Children’s Books). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Singularity of Sleep' – runner-up in the Sunday Star-Times Short Story Awards 2018

Haematologist Eileen Merriman describes herself as a doctor by day, and a writer by night – so she knows about the lack of sleep described in this story. Her young adult fiction novel Invisibly Breathing will be published in March this year. This story, The Singularity of Sleep was named... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2019-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Picture books perfect for story time

A collection of recent releases celebrates the joy of connecting with a grandparent, remembering the Moon landing, and slowing down to appreciate life, and much more. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2019-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At libraries, drag queen story hours draw big crowds . . . and lawsuits

Drag queen story hours at libraries have proven popular with kids and adults, but some conservatives have challenged the sessions in courts. Since debuting in San Francisco a little over three years ago, drag queen story hours—where performers read from children’s books to crowds of kids and... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Biggest Publishing News Stories of 2018

With 2018 in the rearview mirror, we take a look back at some of the biggest stories that captured headlines in the industry last year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Folk festival founder commissions The Lost Words musical composition

The founder of a folk festival has commissioned eight musicians to create a body of music based on The Lost Words, the illustrated book that celebrates lost nature words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris (Hamish Hamilton). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former NYT editor claims publisher drafted letter “all but apologizing” to China for tough story

The New York Times publisher was reportedly eager to appease the Chinese government because its operation in China was at stake. In her new book Merchants of Truth, former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson claims that the news outlet’s publisher drafted a letter “all but apologizing”... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seven big literary world stories from 2018

Say this for 2018: There wasn't a single slow news day this year. While most of this year's headlines focused on Washington, D.C., there were quite a few notable events in the world of literature as well. Here are seven of the biggest literary headlines from the last 12 months: Michelle Obama's... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Top 10 most-read Bookseller stories of 2018

Lionel Shriver's controversial opinion piece on diversity, a publishing start-up offering aspiring writers a £24k salary and Waterstones' shock acquisition of Foyles all feature in the Top 10 most-read stories on The Bookseller website in 2018. But what's at number one? Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Newman and Coe urge readers to turn to high street after stock delays at 'Scrooge' Amazon

Authors Cathy Newman and Jonathan Coe have urged customers to take their business to the high street this Christmas season after suffering stock shortages of their titles on Amazon.co.uk. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zadie Smith to publish first short story collection in 2019

Zadie Smith is releasing her very first story collection with Hamish Hamilton next autumn: Grand Union. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Fortnite pwnd Google: the most overlooked story of the year

Contrary to appearances, it’s still possible to stare down the tech giants. And in 2018, Fortnite proved it. In 2018, the platforms have the power. Which means if you aren’t Apple, Google, or Facebook, you answer to them. That’s true for advertisers, for publishers, and even for our democracy.... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-12-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lucy Strange | 'I think it’s so important not to underestimate readers of that age, the complexity of their inner world'

A painting provided the inspiration for Lucy Strange’s second children’s book, about a family struggling with the outbreak of the Second World War. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ is more than a movie. It's a comic book come to life

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is unlike any “Spider-Man” movie that has come before it. Sure, it’s the first that centers on the story of Miles Morales, a black-Latino teen whose ascendance as New York’s newest friendly neighborhood hero updates a theme that has long been associated with ... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Audible to produce new anthology as new sponsor for The Sunday Times Short Story Award

Audible has been announced as a new sponsor for, what will now be known as, the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2019. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Top 10 Library Stories of 2018

PW takes a look back at some of the library stories that captivated the publishing world in 2018, and what they portend for 2019. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Study Recommends Refocusing Readers on Canadian Authors

The 180-page report shows a steep drop in both sales of books by Canadian authors and books published by Canadian-owned presses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How author Jarrett Krosoczka illustrates gratitude – on the page and in life

Jarrett Krosoczka’s recent memoir is about growing up with a parent struggling with addiction. But its messages for young people focus on resiliency and giving thanks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Johnson and Jones join BBC Short Story judging panel

Man Booker Prize-shortlisted Daisy Johnson is joining fellow authors Cynan Jones and Richard Beard to judge the £15,000 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University (NSSA). Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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