The first-person essays boom: top editors on why confessional writing matters

A Slate piece on first-person writing has prompted debate in the digital media community. We asked editors at BuzzFeed, Jezebel and other leading sites to weigh in on the importance of such pieces – and why there is a gender divideOn Monday, Laura Bennett’s Slate piece on the boom of first-person essay writing sparked a fierce online debate between editors and writers: how can one best work between the vulnerability of a writer and the traffic goal of an editor? What’s the line between publishing someone’s personal experience and exploitation?In response to Bennett’s piece, we asked senior editors at several publications known for publishing first-person stories about what they value in them, how they look after their writers, and why it is that so many confessional stories seem to be written by women, and not men.This route to publication and a book/movie deal simply is not open for non-white womenAnd now Pollitt’s up at bat. Her three previous essay collections gathered brilliant commentary on welfare, abortion, surrogate motherhood, Iraq, gay marriage and health care, mostly from the pages of The Nation. But with “Learning to Drive,” she gets personal, and shameless. She has decided to wave her dirty laundry (among which she found unidentified striped panties) and confesses to “Webstalking” her longtime, live-in, womanizing former boyfriend. (Take that, you rat!) It’s hard to tell if she’s coming into her own, trying to sell more books or has lost it entirely. Or... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #gay marriage #health care #dirty laundry #ve heard

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iBooks Bestsellers: Forman Stays on Top

Just days ahead of the debut of the film adaptation of 'If I Stay,' Gayle Forman’s novel was once again the top seller in Apple’s iBooks store. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ann Leckie wins top sci-fi award for debut novel 'Ancillary Justice'

'Ancillary Justice' is the first novel ever to win the science fiction 'triple crown' – the Hugo, the Nebula, and the Arthur C. Clarke awards – all in the same year. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Guardian view on Amazon v Hachette: reading and writing | Editorial

Can a one-size-fits-all, low-price, consumer-dominated sales model support a diverse, innovative, challenging literary output?It is either an existential threat to intellectual freedom or a rustbelt media industry meeting its comeuppance at the hands of disruptive technology. The battle between... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mobile traffic surpasses desktop for top UK publishers

The top newspaper and magazine publishers in the U.K. have now crossed the mobile-desktop audience threshold, with many reporting that over half their audience now views their content on mobile and tablet devices. The post Mobile traffic surpasses desktop for top UK publishers appeared first on... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cleary Wolters, the basis for an 'Orange Is the New Black' character, will write a memoir

The character of Alex Vause, portrayed by actress Laura Prepon on the show, is based on Wolters. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Meet the Editor: Malaika Adero

Even as a high school student, Malaika Adero knew that she wanted to work in the book publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mens Health stays strong at top of paid-for mens magazine market

Hearst-Rodale titles print sales fall back below 200,000, but remains well ahead of closest rival, Condé Nasts GQ Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HC signs book on golden age of crime writing

HarperCollins has signed a book exploring the golden age of crime writing by author Martin... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Moyes knocks Green off top spot

Jojo Moyes has ended John Green’s eight week run at the top of the chart with her first UK... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Obituary: Editor Stanley Hochman, 89

Stanley Hochman, editor of reference, and a translator of European literature and nonfiction, died at home of natural causes on August 10. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Top 5: Largest Pittsburgh-area telecommunications firms

This week, the Pittsburgh Business Times ranked the largest Pittsburgh-area telecommunications firms. Click on the photo to the right to start the slideshow. The complete list of the largest Pittsburgh-area telecommunications firms is available to subscribers via the digital edition or on Page... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Julian Gough funds writing trip on Kickstarter

Author Julian Gough is using Kickstarter to part-fund a writing research trip to Las Vegas. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Mac buys guide to driving from Top Gear's 'Stig'

Pan Macmillan has acquired an illustrated guide to driving by Ben Collins, formerly Stig of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Business Adventures why Bill Gates's favourite book is back at the top of the bestseller lists

It is 43 years old and was out of print for ages, but the Microsoft mogul's approval has caused a brand new surge in salesName: Business AdventuresAge: 43 Continue reading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Meet the Editor: Sarah Knight

In retrospect, Sarah Knight’s first editorial job was a harbinger of a long and circuitous career to come. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stanfords to hold travel writing festival

Stanfords is to hold a Travel Writers Festival at the Destinations Show in London next year.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Here's a book about people tweeting about writing their novels

Sorry guys, I can't tweet this picture of a cat wearing a party hat right now, because I'm #amwriting. I'm in a coffee shop, you see, with my laptop and notebook proudly displayed so that anyone who walks past will know that I'm #amwriting a novel.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Personal Touch It’s not only sales that publishers look for in a distributor

While publisher Roger Jänecke of Visible Ink says that the “first thing is sales and the second thing is sales” when considering distributors, it’s clear from speaking with him and other independent presses that the connection between a publisher and its distributor isn’t just a business... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tracking Amazon: 'Fifty Shades' Back on Top

After the first trailer for the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey dropped on July 24, lighting up the internet, the first book in E.L. James's trilogy shot back up to the top of Amazon's bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK books power world's top-grossing films

Adaptations of novels by British authors make up 40% of the 20 top-grossing films worldwide since... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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