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 ]
News tagged with: #earliest days #crude prototype

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Cif community challenges its writers – and can change their minds | Seth Freedman'


'The Seven Good Years' collects quirky, touching family stories by Israeli writer Etgar Keret

Etgar Keret presents his memoir: a series of raw and witty stories that document seven years of a father-son relationship. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


The Changing Landscape: Landlords Helping Indies

Not all landlords want a bookstore so much that they’ll forego market rates, but there are a growing number who do. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #changing landscape #growing number


Summer Reading Challenge aims for world record

The Reading Agency is hoping to set a new record for "most pledges received for a reading campaign" for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, which launches tomorrow (11th July). The agency has teamed up with Guinness World Records for the challenge and, starting from this weekend, libraries... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world record #reading agency #reading campaign


Fearing Piracy, Authors Guild Pushes Change to Copyright Law

Citing a major uptick in Internet piracy, the Authors Guild has urged Congress to require ISPs to monitor and filter the Internet for pirated works. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #copyright law #authors guild #require isps


How Can Women Change the World? Book by Book 

As a literary agent, Frankfurt has been a launch pad for some of the most powerful women’s voices from around the world. This year will be no different. The post How Can Women Change the World? Book by Book  appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book appeared #literary agent #powerful women


The Changing World of Licensed Publishing

Film and television properties continue to generate buzz on the show floor at Licensing Expo, held last month in Las Vegas. But a popular entertainment property, on its own, is often no longer enough to drive licensed publishing success. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #changing world #licensed publishing #generate buzz #show floor #licensing expo #las vegas


Taiye Selasi: stop pigeonholing African writers

Why must writers from Africa always bear the burden of representing their continent? They should be granted artistic freedom, as other authors areAfrican literature, as it’s called, is enjoying a bit of a moment, with the western media regularly heralding splashes, rebirths, dawns. When I... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #african literature #middle eastern #takes place


ICRS Changes with the Times

At this week's annual meeting of the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Fla., attendees expressed optimism about a show that has become, of late, more innovative. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #annual meeting


Harkable's Francis: 'authors must take up challenge of social media'

Authors must “take up the challenge” to excel at social media, building communities around their work, while publishers must build “meaningful digital experiences powered by social media, data and technology”, Harkable co-founder Will Francis has told The Bookseller’s Marketing and Publicity... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publicity conference #keynote speech


Changing the Perception of Self-Publishing

Josh Brody, CEO of Pronoun (ex-Vook), outlines his company's aims in refashioning itself as an author-first digital publishing and distribution platform. The post Changing the Perception of Self-Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-publishing appeared #digital publishing #distribution platform


Deadline for ST/PFD Young Writer award

Authors and publishers have just a day left to submit work to the relaunched Sunday Times/Peters Fraser & Dunlop Young Writer of the Year Award, which is open to self-published writers this year for the first time. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published writers


Tracking Facebook’s Book Challenge

On January 2, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced he would be challenging himself to read a new book every other week in 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book challenge #facebook founder


How will Amazon's new pay-per-page model change ebooks?

Just as Spotify has done for music, the new pay-per-page system could change the way ebooks are published and authors paid. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


German site Heftig modeled itself after Upworthy, and what happened next will blow your mind

Viral sensation Upworthy has seen its traffic decline from a peak of 50 million last summer. But that hasn’t stopped others from jumping on Upworthy’s successful formula. One of the biggest knockoffs is Germany’s Heftig.co, which claims 50 million monthly uniques worldwide since launching a year... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mind appeared #traffic decline #half ago #social publishers


Crisp signs fantasy writer Hawke

Julie Crisp has signed up her first author as a literary agent following her departure from Pan Macmillan. Crisp will represent Sam Hawke, an Australian fantasy writer from Canberra, who has written a novel called Proof, described as “intelligent fantasy concentrating on issues of race, gender... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #julie crisp #literary agent #pan macmillan


BAFTA seeks writers for children’s film and TV

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) is looking for aspiring writers of children’s films and TV shows for its new writing forum. The competition is part of the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum, a long-running initiative which was created to give a platform to undiscovered... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv shows #british academy #aspiring writers


Short story writers lament profile problem

Short stories are gaining ground in the UK, but authors working within the format are finding it more difficult to break into the public consciousness than novelists, writers have told The Bookseller. Awards that cover all forms of fiction such as The Folio Prize, won in 2014 by George... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short stories #gaining ground #public consciousness #folio prize #george saunders #december bloomsbury


Newsonomics: Could a Small Google Tech Change Mean Tens of Millions to News Publishers?

The late April news was impressive and divisive: Google would spend €150 million on a new Digital News Initiative (DNI) partnership with European news publishers (“Google to launch $150 million partnership with publishers&rdquo ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news publishers


Mentoring bursaries offered to low-income writers

Quality Writing for All, a campaign to support low-income writers, with a focus on Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and disabled communities, will be officially launched tonight (16th June). The scheme has been put together by The Literary Consultancy (TLC), which is using funding from Arts... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Riddell supports equal credit campaign for illustrators and writers

The new children’s laureate Chris Riddell said he supports campaigns for illustrators to gain equal credit with writers. In an interview with The Bookseller magazine published today (12th June), Ridell said Sarah McIntyre, who spearheaded the #PicturesMeanBusiness campaign, is “amazing”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sarah mcintyre ##picturesmeanbusiness campaign