The Cif community challenges its writers – and can change their minds | Seth Freedman

Georgina Henry's kind but firm encouragement to go below the line on my pieces has transformed my life as well as my idealsFor a wide-eyed, wannabe writer, being cast into the Cif lions' den induced fear and pride in equal measure. The chance to contribute to such a paradigm-shifting project was one any budding journalist would jump at, but at the same time there was no hiding from the army of commenters ready to tear each and every article to shreds in the threads below. And since I was writing about the most incendiary topic under the Cif sun, the venom and vitriol would start flying from the minute the publish button was pressed on each of my pieces.Despite alarmingly inauspicious beginnings – ending my debut BTL comment with a sneering "Whatever mate – I write, you read …" – it soon became apparent that the Cif process was a two-way street. The site's original editor, Georgina Henry, encouraged me to participate in the threads from day one, telling me firmly but kindly that venturing below the line was "more than good form – they expect it". To her and her burgeoning ranks of readers and commenters, writers' jobs had only just begun when their pieces were put up on the site; the real work took place in the lengthy and vociferous threads that followed.No sooner had I started joining in the debate I found – like so many others – that I just couldn't stop. The addictive nature of the Cif beast meant I always wanted to respond, forever craved the last word, couldn't help... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At London Book Fair: Writers’ Prize Names Its Winners

At London Book Fair, the top honor from the Writers' Prize, formerly the Rathbones, goes to Liz Berry for 'The Home Child.' The post At London Book Fair: Writers’ Prize Names Its Winners appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-03-14 05:01:24 UTC ]
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ALA Reports Record Spike in Book Titles Challenged in 2023

In a release, ALA officials said that 4,240 unique book titles were reported challenged in schools and libraries in 2023, a stunning 65% increase over 2022, when 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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More Challenges Arise at Barnes & Noble Education

Barnes & Noble Education reported higher sales and lower losses in the quarter ended January 27, 2024, but those results were overshadowed by news that the company continues to struggle to find ways to shore up its financial position. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-03-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Q&A: Nielsen’s CEO on Rolling With Massive Changes in 2024

The measurement industry is at an inflection point. In 2021, measurement giant Nielsen lost its third-party accreditation from the Media Rating Council after the company admitted to undercounting audiences, which could've translated to hundreds of millions of dollars in... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2024-03-12 10:00:00 UTC ]
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I didn’t get the credit for my bestselling book: the secret life of the celebrity ghost writer

There’s nothing quite like finding six new releases on display in a bookstore – all of which you’ve written, and none of which has your name on itA few years back, a long-held dream of mine came true: a book I wrote became a runaway hit.You’ve probably read the book. You’ve definitely seen the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-03-11 14:00:31 UTC ]
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Three Questions You Need to Answer as a Children’s Book Writer

One of my duties every single day as an author, journalist, and constituent, is to read. I study the written word the way a football coach studies football games. I don’t read for pleasure just like a football coach doesn’t attend games to zone out. As much as I’d like to avoid it, I have […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-11 11:48:51 UTC ]
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RuPaul has launched an online bookshop that will share its profits with writers.

There’s a new online bookstore in town—and this time it’s helmed by RuPaul. Yes, that RuPaul. (Reading being, after all, fundamental.) Allstora, announced today*, is a membership-based bookstore that offers a profit-split to authors. RuPaul serves as Allstora’s Chief Creative Officer and... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-03-04 16:45:28 UTC ]
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Streaming video changed the internet forever

It’s 1995, and I’m trying to watch a video on the internet. I entered the longest, most complex URL I’d ever seen into AOL’s web browser to view a trailer for Paul W.S. Anderson’s long-awaited film adaptation of Mortal Kombat. I found it in an issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, tucked away in... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2024-03-01 17:00:14 UTC ]
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New Lee & Low Diversity Baseline Survey Finds Minor Changes

The third edition of the survey found the industry to be slightly more diverse in terms of its racial and gender makeup than it was four years ago. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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UK: The Sunday Times Young Writer 2024 Shortlist

Praising 'their attentiveness to the world,' the 2024 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year jury names four authors to its shortlist. The post UK: The Sunday Times Young Writer 2024 Shortlist appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-02-27 17:20:22 UTC ]
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For libraries, e-book lending is a new chapter – and a new challenge

The “Netflix model” of leasing e-books to public libraries is expensive, full of limitations, and potentially a boon for censorship, librarians say. It’s a growing business model that shifts power to publishers and makes access harder for patrons. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2024-02-22 16:28:54 UTC ]
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12 Brilliant Short Stories by Black Writers to Read Year-Round

From one girl’s aspiration to Olympic gymnastics glory, to a boy’s stint living in the Idaho wilderness in hopes of fixing his unruly behavior, something that remains a guiding principle in Black storytelling is the breadth of our lives. These stories, a collection of some of EL’s most-loved... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-02-22 12:00:00 UTC ]
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3 New Biographies of Visionary Writers

Probing the lives and work Barbara Comyns, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Carson McCullers, these literary biographies, out this week, take a fresh look at three of our most visionary writers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Winter Institute 2024: Booksellers Assess a Changing Tween Scene

Data points and anecdotes about middle grade reading intertwined at a panel on "Recapturing the Tween Middle Grade Market," held at Winter Institute. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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With the Change of a Letter, Cupid Gets a Makeover

Pratfalls, chaos, and a clumsy, well-intentioned flying piglet have made a bestseller of 'Cupig,' by Flamingo assistant editor Claire Tattersfield and illustrator Rob Sayegh Jr. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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These books were challenged at Ottawa's libraries last year

Challenges cited allegations of racism and hatred, as well as supposedly inaccurate or age-inappropriate content, but all were rejected. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2024-02-10 09:00:00 UTC ]
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Palestinian-American writer Randa Jarrar was dragged out of a PEN event.

Despite mounting objections from within the American literary community (as well as public condemnation from two prominent novelists who recently cut ties with the organization), on Wednesday evening PEN America’s Los Angeles branch went ahead with its hosting of a conversation between stand-up... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-02-02 19:14:45 UTC ]
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In 'Expats,' Lulu Wang centers not only the lives of women but a changing Hong Kong

Lulu Wang's "Expats," premiering Friday on Prime Video, is an adaptation of Janice Y. K. Lee's bestselling book that stars Nicole Kidman and examines the intersection of the lives of three women living in Hong Kong. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-01-25 19:17:55 UTC ]
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‘The levels of attack are extraordinary’: Gary Lineker on punditry, podcasts – and why he won’t stop speaking his mind

The football broadcaster and podcast mogul keeps tweeting about the Israel-Gaza war, despite arguing with friends and getting into hot water with the BBC. What drives him?Gary Lineker has asked me to meet him at his house in Barnes at 2.30pm. It’s a miserable wet day in London, so I give myself... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2024-01-20 07:00:52 UTC ]
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