Short ebooks: don't let one bad experience ruin a literary phenomenon

Penelope Lively's recent short ebook for Penguin drew criticism for its brevity – but readers should not be put off the genre as a whole"Overpriced", "ridiculous", I feel cheated". Amazon reviewers haven't been wholly positive about a digital short Penelope Lively has written for Penguin Specials. On the evidence of the story itself, it's not Lively's fault. Abroad is about a pair of art students who travel to 1950s Spain in search of picturesque peasants and are disappointed when they don't live up to expectations. It's funny and evocative of a time when rural Europe was still exotic.It also peters out after just 4,000 words, so I sympathise with anyone who felt ripped off by its £1.99 price tag. These days you can buy two whole novels for that. The sad fact is, publishers don't make any money if an ebook costs less than £1.99. Amazon does, because singles are the literary equivalent of a gateway drug.This was brought home to me on finishing Susan Hill's latest effort, Printer's Devil Court (99p), a haunting tale about pre-second world war medical students who experiment with resurrection. More substantial than Lively's, it's a great, old-fashioned ghost story, whose chilling impact was somewhat undermined by turning the final page to find Amazon ordering me to rate, review, tweet, Facebook and buy more books by Susan Hill. Was the ebook I'd enjoyed little more than a trailer?Singles are a clever marketing tool. But it would be a shame if readers short-changed by one... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Talking “Breasts and Eggs” with Japan’s Rising Literary Star, Mieko Kawakami

Mieko Kawakami, whose poignant and pointed debut novel Breasts and Eggs is this season’s LARB’s Book Club selection, joins Medaya Ocher and Boris Dralyuk to discuss her career as a musician, poet, blogger, and author, the challenges facing women around the world, the state of Japanese... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-07-24 17:23:00 UTC ]
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Coronavirus Worklife: Iran’s Blue Circle Literary Agency

The world health crisis has had tangible impact on a new literary agency in Tehran, one of its core staffers contracting the virus during reopenings. The post Coronavirus Worklife: Iran’s Blue Circle Literary Agency appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-07-24 15:31:03 UTC ]
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When Experience Counts: How Bustle Digital Group Is Future-Proofing Its Business

EVP of revenue, Elizabeth Webbe Lunny, talks business development, management philosophies and the future of her company and publishing. The post When Experience Counts: How Bustle Digital Group Is Future-Proofing Its Business appeared first on Eddie & Ozzie Awards. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-07-23 16:07:41 UTC ]
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When Experience Counts: How Bustle Digital Group Is Future-Proofing Its Business

Legacy media companies, particularly those with print products, are often told they should learn from digital startups who have allegedly disrupted norms and transformed the industry through innovation and a new, creative mindset. While this is true in some instances, there are plenty of... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-07-23 16:07:41 UTC ]
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When Experience Counts: How Bustle Digital Group Is Future-Proofing Its Business

Legacy media companies, particularly those with print products, are often told they should learn from digital startups who have allegedly disrupted norms and transformed the industry through innovation and a new, creative mindset. While this is true in some instances, there are plenty of... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-07-23 16:07:41 UTC ]
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New literary magazine INQUE to feature Adichie, Lethem and Tempest

A new annual literary magazine, INQUE, is being launched by Port Magazine publisher and Granta editor Dan Crowe and the New York Times Magazine's former art director Matt Willey, with a host of stellar contributors. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-20 14:03:29 UTC ]
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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 ]
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A Literary Festival for Diverse Voices Finds a Home Online

What happens when you hand over the reins of a literary festival to the hosts of the popular feminist podcast Call Your Girlfriend? You get By The Books: A Collection of Rising Voices, a highly diverse online lit fest. By The Books starts today and is curated by Ann Friedman and Aminatou... Continue reading at AdWeek

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UK’s National Literary Trust Research Finds Benefits of Audiobooks for Kids

A report commissioned by the Publishers Association says that during the COVID-19 lockdown, UK children listened to audiobooks, arguing to end their VAT. The post UK’s National Literary Trust Research Finds Benefits of Audiobooks for Kids appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-07-06 15:29:18 UTC ]
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How 50 Years of Frog and Toad Shaped Countless Literary Friendships

Mo Willems, Kyo Maclear, and other children’s book authors on what Arnold Lobel’s series means to them. Continue reading at Slate

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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 ]
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One critic’s summer reading list: From a scandalous memoir to obscure literary journalism

Michael Dirda is taking a vacation next month, and he’s already getting his to-be-read pile in order. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-07-01 16:17:23 UTC ]
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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 ]
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The Road Toward Ruin: A Conversation with Neal Pollack

NEAL POLLACK, known to his fans as “The Greatest Living American Writer,” has had many incarnations in his literary life, from novelist to mystery writer to prolific memoirist. First, in his 2008 memoir Alternadad, Pollack reflects on his recent fatherhood and its incompatibility with his grumpy... Continue reading at Los Angeles Review of Books

[ Los Angeles Review of Books | 2020-06-28 15:00:57 UTC ]
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6 Free Children’s Ebooks on the Coronavirus

Give the little ones some tools to better understand this unprecedented event with these free children's books about coronavirus. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-24 10:37:25 UTC ]
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6 Free Children’s Ebooks on the Coronavirus

Give the little ones some tools to better understand this unprecedented event with these free children's books about coronavirus. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-24 10:37:25 UTC ]
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10 Works of Literary Fiction for Runners

Over the past few months, as gyms and yoga studios and fitness centers have remained closed, many of you antsy yogis and barre-enthusiasts and Zumba-addicts have gone back to that most elemental of exercises: the run. For those of us who like to read and run, well, plenty of books on the subject... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-23 08:49:25 UTC ]
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HopeRoad extends postcolonial literary studies award

The HopeRoad Prize for postcolonial literary studies is to be renewed for a further three years and to extend its remit, the publisher has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-23 02:30:10 UTC ]
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Obituary: U.K. Literary Agent Felicity Bryan

Felicity Bryan, founder of Felicity Bryan Associates and one of Britain’s most respected literary agents, died June 21 of cancer. She was 74. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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When Book Collaborations Go Bad

A veteran coauthor warns colleagues to watch for signs of high-maintenance experts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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