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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BEA 2014: The Illustrators' Studio Crawl: A Photo Essay

With booksellers from all over the country and beyond gathering in New York City for BEA, what better time for the ABA and the CBC to organize a tour of the studios of children's book illustrators? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Viewing a Web page isn't copyright infringement, top EU court rules

Europeans can continue browsing the Web without fear of breaking copyright law, Europe’s top court has determined in a landmark ruling. The legality of this common practice came into question in Europe as a result of a years-long tussle involving U.K. newspaper publishers, a public relations... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #copyright infringement #landmark ruling #common practice #newspaper publishers #legal challenge


Libraries can digitize books without consent, says top EU court advisor

European libraries are allowed to digitize books without the consent of the rights holder, the senior advisor to Europe’s top court said Thursday.The European Copyright Directive does not prevent the digitization of books in a library’s collection if those books are made accessible to the public... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Butcher's Skin Game takes top spot on Original Fiction chart

Just under 3m book sales registered through Nielsen BookScan for the week ending the 31st of May... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Byliner, an Online Publisher of Long-Form Writing, Seeks Partners

Byliner, a company that publishes long, literary journalism and fiction online and as ebooks, told its contributors Tuesday that it has been struggling and is seeking partners to ensure its future. The company started in 2011 with some fanfare. It ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #company started #online publisher #long-form writing #literary journalism


Where top publishers see native going next

The biggest players in the online publishing space converged in Barcelona this week to discuss the wholesale transformation of the industry into a digital and multiplatform phenomenon. We asked a handful of them one simple question: What's next for native advertising? The post Where top... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pooh bear tops favourite book poll

Winnie the Pooh is named as the best-loved children's book of the last 150 years, with the most contemporary publication in the list, The Gruffalo, coming fifth. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: Editors Busy Buzzing

BEA attendees faithfully—and eagerly—flock to two panels that have become popular staples of the show’s programming. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Billy Crystal Takes Top Honors at 2014 Audie Awards

Crystal’s 'Still Foolin’ ‘Em' won the award for Audiobook of the Year and Pete Seeger’s 'Pete Seeger: The Storm King' took home the prize for Distinguished Achievement in Production. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: YA Editors Pitch Books at Buzz Panel

A debut, a sequel, the first of a new fantasy trilogy and more were among the books discussed at BookExpo America 2014's YA Editors' Buzz Panel. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Third chart-topping week for Dan Brown

Dan Brown's Inferno is number one for the third week in a row in the Official UK Top 50 this... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: Giffin Makes Top Three

Emily Giffin's latest novel, "The One & Only," released May 20, debuted at #3 on Apple's iBooks bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Four Questions for...'Harry Quebert' Editor John Siciliano

PW catches up with the editor of "The Harry Quebert Affair," John Siciliano, to discuss high expectations, the difficulty of importing blockbusters and the fact that, occasionally, something French can be fun. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Meet the Editor: Ed Park

Ed Park stands in stark contrast to the image some have of Amazon in the book publishing industry—a demonic force gobbling up the little guy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HC to host digital festival for romance writing

HarperCollins is hosting a virtual romance festival, with contributions from fellow publishers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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M.F.A. Survey 2014: Agents and Editors Talk M.F.A. Programs

Many agents and editors use M.F.A. programs as resources for finding new talent. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jill Herzig Named Editor-in-Chief of Dr. Oz The Good Life

Hearst Corp. president and CEO Steve Swartz and Hearst Magazines president David Carey looked inward in recruiting four-year Redbook editor-in-chief Jill Herzig for the same position at Dr. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brown's Inferno paperback takes top spot

Dan Brown's mass market paperback for his latest thriller, Inferno (Corgi), debuts at number... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Senior editor role for Cornerstone's Mitchell

Emma Mitchell has been appointed as senior editor for Cornerstone imprints William Heinemann,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blackwell's and Little, Brown scoop top BIA Awards

Blackwell’s has been crowned Book Retailer of the Year while Little, Brown scooped the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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