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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The first-person essays boom: top editors on why confessional writing matters'


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 ]
More news stories like this |


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #complete list #digital edition #digital format


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #las vegas


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #top gear #pan macmillan #illustrated guide


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sarah knight #editorial job


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business adventures #bill gates #favourite book #bestseller lists


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 ]
More news stories like this |


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coffee shop


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tracking amazon #fifty shades #film adaptation #bestseller list


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent presses #personal relationship


Roth maintains top spot on US charts

Veronica Roth maintains her position at the top of the US book charts with a second week at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book charts


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 ]
More news stories like this |


Top-Authors Lobby for Long-Term Strategy Against Amazon

Numerous top authors are enlisting fellow writers to formulate a "long-term" strategy to combat Amazon's dominance of the market, writes The Bookseller. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #long-term strategy #combat amazon


iBooks Bestsellers: Silva, Harkness in Top Three

Two new releases made Apple's iBooks bestseller list for the week ended July 21. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ibooks bestsellers


Juris Named PW's Features Editor

Carolyn Juris has been named features editor at 'Publishers Weekly.' Most recently she was associate children's books editor. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #features editor #associate children #books editor


Engadget Daily: Top cellphones, Kindle Unlimited and more!

Check out the top smartphones you can buy right now, read to your heart's content with Kindle Unlimited, our review of the Samsung ATIV Book 9 2014 Edition and find out how to live off vending machines in Tokyo. All that and more inside Engadget's... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #engadget daily #kindle unlimited #vending machines


How Top Publishers Label Content Recommendation Ads

As the debate rages over the ethics of native advertising on both sides of the Atlantic, regulators in the U.K. have added more fuel to the fire. A ruling by the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority against Outbrain is forcing publisher ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debate rages #native advertising


Green Tops In Spain in June

In the run up to the July 4 release of the film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars in Spain, John Green’s novel jumped four places on the country’s fiction list, landing in the top spot for June. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #film adaptation #john green #fiction list


Okwiri Oduor Wins 15th Caine Prize for African Writing

Kenyan Okwiri Oduor has won the 15th Caine Prize for African Writing, often described as Africa’s leading literary award. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #african writing


How top publishers tend to their homepages

While publishers are devoting energy to roping in visitors via search and social, some are also tending their home page carefully. The post How top publishers tend to their homepages appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |