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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Coronavirus: Canada’s Kobo Joins Mondadori in Providing Free Ebooks to Italians in Lockdown

Amid Europe's largest COVID-19 outbreak, Italian citizens in lockdown have been able to read free Mondadori ebooks in a program facilitated by Kobo. The post Coronavirus: Canada’s Kobo Joins Mondadori in Providing Free Ebooks to Italians in Lockdown appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-03-11 12:22:51 UTC ]
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Germany's Lit.Cologne literary festival cancelled due to coronavirus

While German publishers are still reeling from the cancellation of the major spring fair Leipziger Buchmesse last week, the industry has been dealt two more blows in the wake of the coronavirus crises. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-11 07:50:07 UTC ]
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Do Literary Agents Steal Ideas? What About Editors and Publishers?

Do literary agents steal ideas? Do editors and publishers? Is there any way to protect yourself? Find the answers here. The post Do Literary Agents Steal Ideas? What About Editors and Publishers? by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2020-03-11 03:44:03 UTC ]
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Still a bad person after watching The Good Place? Michael Schur is writing a book for you.

Today, Simon & Schuster announced their acquisition of the first book by Michael Schur, creator of postmodern morality play and philosophical sitcom The Good Place, otherwise known as the best thing on television for a while there. How to Be Good: A Definitive Answer for Exactly What to Do,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-03-10 16:57:41 UTC ]
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Four short links: 10 March 2020

MLflow — an open source platform to manage the ML lifecycle, including experimentation, reproducibility, and deployment. It currently offers three components: tracking, projects, and models. Eventing Facets (Tim Bray) — the word “eventing” makes my skin crawl, but this series of posts has A+... Continue reading at O'Reilly Radar

[ O'Reilly Radar | 2020-03-10 04:01:00 UTC ]
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Do Literary Agents Work on Weekends?

Do literary agents work on weekends? If so, is this a better time to submit my query or manuscript? Does it matter what time of day? Find the answers here. The post Do Literary Agents Work on Weekends? by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2020-03-06 19:58:02 UTC ]
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PEN America’s 2020 Literary Award Winners

More than US$330,000 in prize money is attached to the annual PEN America Literary Awards, each of which is selected by a separate jury. The post PEN America’s 2020 Literary Award Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-03-06 10:59:52 UTC ]
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Here’s a list of international literary events canceled over coronavirus concerns.

We’re keeping track of the book fairs and other events that have been canceled or rescheduled as coronavirus spreads around the globe. Check back here for updates. Taipei International Book Exhibition (Taipei, Taiwan, Feb. 4-9): Rescheduled for May 7-12 Leipzig Book Fair (Leipzig, Germany, March... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-03-03 18:16:03 UTC ]
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Short Books snaps up mental health title in 24 hour pre-empt

Short Books will publish A Manifesto for Belonging: How to Find your Place in a Fractured World by child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr Holan Liang.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-03 07:57:40 UTC ]
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Why Questex Is Focusing on Experiences

Among former Informa, Penton and UBM executive Paul Miller's early initiatives after taking over as CEO of Questex late in 2018 was a reorganization of the company's media and events properties, reducing the number of divisions in the portfolio in an effort to foster more cross-brand... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-02-27 19:00:10 UTC ]
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Taco Bell Quarterly is the literary magazine you didn’t know you needed.

It happened yesterday at 7:59pm. My dear friend and colleague, Olivia Rutigliano, sent me a text that I’ll never forget. It was a screenshot of her Twitter notifications. Taco Bell Quarterly (@TBQuarterly) had followed her. What is Taco Bell Quarterly? Is it a joke? How did this even start? Are... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-25 21:25:27 UTC ]
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Do Literary Agents Cost Money?

Do literary agents cost money? If so, what should I expect? If not, how do they earn a living? Either way, are literary agents worth it? Find the answers here. The post Do Literary Agents Cost Money? by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2020-02-25 21:16:16 UTC ]
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5 Short Story Collections for Your Audiobook TBR

A roundup of audiobook short story collections, with a single narrator or a full cast, that give listeners an incredible audiobook experience. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-02-25 11:31:17 UTC ]
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David Nicholls joins Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2020 judging panel

Bestselling author and screenwriter David Nicholls has joined the Sunday Times Audible Short Story Award 2020 judging panel.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-23 22:37:04 UTC ]
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A Bite of the Apple by Lennie Goodings – essential literary memoir

The Virago publisher is eloquent and inspiring on writing – but her memoir lacks grit and gossipLennie Goodings has had a long and highly respected career in publishing. She is chair of Virago Press, the pioneering publishing house that champions women’s writing. She’s been with Virago since the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-02-23 09:00:48 UTC ]
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Publishers Are Reinvesting in the ‘Lean-Back’ Experience of Print Magazines

Despite flipping the “digital-only” switch on many titles, major publishers continue to launch new publications – and reinvest in existing ones – with a heightened focus on paper quality, editorial value, and the luxuries of print. Execs from Meredith, Hearst Autos, and Bonnier Media discuss how... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2020-02-20 22:40:45 UTC ]
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7 Tips for Publishers to Build Quality Experiences

A quality experience is something every publisher wants to offer their audience. Yet, there isn't a playbook on exactly how to do it. There are many variables in what makes for a quality experience, but ultimately it’s the readers/users themselves that decide. Still, there are creative ideas... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2020-02-20 17:20:54 UTC ]
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A tale of the free-spirited women who tangled with Orwell and other literary lions

“The Lost Girls” is a group biography of love and lust among the wartime literati. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-02-19 19:00:00 UTC ]
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Aspen Words $35,000 Literary Prize Names Its 2020 Finalists

The still-young Aspen Words Literary Prize's longlisted titles point up 'humor in the midst of serious situations'–in issue-driven fiction. The post Aspen Words $35,000 Literary Prize Names Its 2020 Finalists appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-02-19 15:30:55 UTC ]
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Explore Icelandic Literary Culture

Take a tour of bookish Iceland and explore Icelandic literary culture boasting the most writers per capita, the most books published per capita, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-02-19 11:34:01 UTC ]
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