Since 2011, all my book editors have been white. Why wouldn’t I want another perspective on the characters I invent?Until a few years ago, only publishing industry insiders would have understood the role of the sensitivity reader. Then came American Dirt. The Jeanine Cummins novel sold to a US publisher for a seven-figure advance, was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club, and was touted as “the new Grapes of Wrath”. On release in 2020, early readers noted that the white author’s depiction of Mexican people was, at best, flawed, inaccurate, and riddled with stereotypes and, at worst, simply racist.A sensitivity reader is an additional editor who works alongside the publishing house staffer who acquired the rights to your book. This individual will conduct a very specific read of the manuscript, and offer notes on characters from marginalised groups, or elements which may cause offence. The argument goes that if American Dirt had been sufficiently scrutinised by a reader of Mexican heritage, some of the furore could have been avoided. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-03-08 09:00:06 UTC ]
Joel Friedlander, the author, blogger, book designer, publisher, and publishing industry consultant, died on May 7 of cancer. He was 73. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Social media is now a vital platform to promote new titles. And that means jacket designs that hit you ‘hard and quick’Last week’s big literary event was not the publication of a new book, the million-pound signing of a celebrity author or the announcement of a prestigious prize. Instead, it was... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-04-18 09:00:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Having collected views from Black people across the publishing industry for the past year, the Black Agents and Editors’ Group has outlined 15 steps for how those in the trade can do better. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-09 07:18:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The two-year-old Oakland, Calif.-based "partnership publisher" is hoping to disrupt the publishing industry's traditional models. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-04-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
"Of Women and Salt," tracking generations of Latinas, comes out of Gabriela Garcia's family story, life experience and advocacy for migrants. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-03-23 19:20:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Analysis: if Bertelsmann, owner of Penguin Random House, buys US publisher, writers expect smaller deals and less choice for readersUK watchdog investigates Penguin owner’s Simon & Schuster takeoverJokes circulated online when, in 2013, Penguin and Random House merged: would the new... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-03-22 23:24:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Across the publishing industry, there has been a growing shift towards a strategy of on-demand, and the disruptive events of 2020 and Covid-19 have only accelerated these changes. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-14 04:55:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Unless you’re a disgraced politician, trying to get a book published can be difficult, nerve-wracking, soul-denting work. If you’re anything like me, though, it really helps to hear that rejection is the rule in the publishing industry, rather than the exception. When my novel was out on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-03-10 17:04:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Publishing has long relied on self-employed freelancers for a diverse range of roles. From editors and copywriters to illustrators and ghost-writers, the periplectic nature of creativity has long been such that impermanence is a norm. Against that context, the publishing industry faces the new... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-09 00:04:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this
When I left the publishing industry at the end of 2007, the first Kindle had gone on sale just a month earlier, Apple had not yet launched the iPad and few people in publishing knew what an app was. It was a very different world. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-05 11:09:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this
While the pandemic sent shockwaves across the world’s publishing industry in 2020, some international markets reported strong performances with the US posting record-breaking sales while Australia also saw a major boost. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-25 01:03:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Wattpad has increasingly become a very popular platform among young writers. Allowing anyone to share their works and providing a route for aspiring authors to be discovered by the publishing industry, it has become a compelling route for those to looking to develop professionally as a writer... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-24 03:00:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Google's News Corp deal may pacify Australian lawmakers, but publishing industry members worry about repercussions for smaller publishers. The post ‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2021-02-18 05:01:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Google's News Corp deal may pacify Australian lawmakers, but publishing industry members worry about repercussions for smaller publishers. The post ‘I’m afraid of repercussions’: Publishing industry members question Google’s motives in paying off News Corp appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2021-02-18 05:01:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The idea for Muslim Voices in Publishing was born out of a feeling of loneliness – something that we have all experienced in multitudes over the many months of isolation and social distancing. The past year has been a stark reminder that, in anything we set out to do, there is often a need for a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-14 20:11:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
One issue that causes the most stress for many employees, including those in the publishing industry, is the dread of simply arriving at work. Far too many people know they will face a negative atmosphere the moment they walk (or rather Zoom) into their workspace. The job we are employed to do... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-09 15:02:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this
HarperVoyager has snared YA writer Juno Dawson's first three adult novels, a trilogy set around a government agency for witches, at auction in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-27 18:39:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Hannah Bright is returning to the publishing industry, joining the Midas books team as senior accounts manager from mid February. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-26 01:26:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Senior figures from across the publishing industry have shared their predictions for the year ahead with The Bookseller, with support for high-street retailers and further implementation of diversity practices cited as essential steps. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-07 21:52:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The release of “Consent” put France’s literary establishment under a harsh spotlight. The publishing industry is grappling with a nation that it resembles less and less. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-01-03 16:49:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this