Will social media and aggregated preferences sweep away book reviewing and literary culture? There’s nothing new about the death of literatureThe writer Caleb Crain is unhappy about “the intrusion of counting into the life of literature”. He believes that big data and predictive-taste algorithms are cutting humans “out of the loop”, and that social media are undermining our faith in “the mental states of other people” when those inner states aren’t acknowledged in tweets and likes. It seems we are mired in “a new kind of disenchantment”, he says, which is devolving our sense of literary merit. As big data blurs personal opinion into preference aggregates, and as Twitter-propelled article-surfing destroys reviewing communities and the authority of critics alike, Crain contends, we have no choice but to “declare war on counting”. So that, you know, “literature will survive”. Related: Computer says no: Amazon uses AI to combat fake reviews Bad criticism in public is a nuisance. Does it spell the end of days? Hardly [S]uddenly the cosmos seems like one vast plan after all, patterned in such a way that the novel you’re reading at bedtime connects to your astronomy lecture, connects to what you heard on NPR, connects to what your friend discusses in the cafeteria at lunch – and then briefly it’s as if the lid has come off the world, as if the world were a dollhouse, and you can glimpse what it would be like to see it whole, from above – a vertiginous magnificence. Continue... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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InboundWriter wants to help big publishers and niche bloggers figure out how much demand there is for their idea in the Web ecosystem before they type a word or hit "publish." At least that's the idea behind the newest version of the startup's software, which the company said will be used by... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2013-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ellen Page is reportedly talking to 20th Century Fox to headline a big-screen adaptation of Greg Rucka's Queen & Country. Could she be the next big comic-book-inspired action star? Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2013-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mel Elliott, who lives in the U.K., self-published Colour Me Good: Ryan Gosling on a lark. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo's not quite done with the news tonight. In addition to an e-reader, three tablets and Pocket integration, the Canadian-turned-Japanese company has also got some announcements on the content side of things. First up is the addition of magazines to its store, bringing titles from Conde Nast,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The BBC is to produce a feature-length adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's book Esio... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The internet and new technology is making a dream of being an author a reality for many writers. Online self-publishing - bypassing agents and publishing houses is now a fast-growing sector. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2013-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Benchmarks are the best way to gauge a notebook’s prowess with applications such as office suites, photo and video editors, video players, games, and the like. Aesthetics are another important consideration, because you'll likely be staring at the thing for the next several years. By those... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bookseller has begun its search for its third annual Rising Stars, a listing of the industry... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nine out of 10 publishers will be offering at least some form of native advertising formats by the end of this year, according to hot-off-the-presses research being presented by Online Publishers Association chief Pam Horan at OMMA Premium Display in ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While some books on this year's Man Booker prize long list have gotten buzz here in the US, none of them compare (so far) with the success of last year's winner, Hilary Mantel's 'Bring Up the Bodies.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As newsrooms continue to shrink, journalism and media students are facing a harsh reality upon graduation. Media companies are changing business models and expectations rapidly. Those changes are starting to trickle down to colleges. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2013-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The film version of Cheryl Strayed's memoir "Wild" is picking up steam: Reese Witherspoon has signed on to portray the author.The film version of Cheryl Strayed's memoir "Wild" is picking up steam: Reese Witherspoon has signed on to portray the author. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Led by the news that Hugh Howey agent Kristin Nelson has signed self-publisher Barbara Freethy, who has sold 3 million books, the Ether looks at agent mystique. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bookseller's fiction previewer Cathy Rentzenbrink writes... Having just finished The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bluewater President Darren Davis states that a 'Female Force’ comic book featuring Deen will be published this October despite recent controversy over alleged racial slurs made by Deen. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lynn Liedman wakes up every morning looking for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She’s been a loyal subscriber for years, but it wasn’t until this summer that she really got hooked. She’s not reading for news. Inst ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This portable app's website says "Bright Snippet Sire," but everybody calls this open-source favorite Briss for…er…short. Briss crops a section of a PDF file and creates another PDF file of the cropped area. You can crop unwanted areas from PDFs with Briss. It's free, open-source, and portable,... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Library campaigners are braced for a further round of cuts as the Government unveils the latest... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Limiting Kindle Worlds to the ebook form may cater the needs of licensors, but it is counter to the ethos, habits and desires of fanfiction writers and readers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Twenty-two published and unpublished authors last night (18th) shared the £40,000 prize... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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