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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Jobs memoir tops bestseller lists

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 02/11/2011 - 08:27 Walter Isaacson’s biography of the late Steve Jobs has become one of the fastest-selling hardback non-fiction books since records began. Brought forward from its original publication date of 24th November following the Apple... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #opening week #records began #brought forward #24th november #5th october #steve jobs #exclusive biography #bookshop shelves


Magazine Publishers Look to Where Digital is Booming: The Book Business

After the initial flurry of excitement surrounding the release of their digital editions, magazine publishers are now beginning to focus on the strategies behind the products. In addition to complete digital editions, many are seeking other avenues to repackage and sell digital content. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital editions #magazine publishers #book business #initial flurry


'PW' Tops 200,000 Twitter Followers

Publishers Weekly now has more than 200,000 Twitter followers, passing that mark last week and as of today has more that 203,000 following the magazine via @PublishersWkly. Eileen Gardner, a self-professed pop culture junkie and aspiring author, was the 200,000th PW follower. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pratchett's Snuff snaffles top spot with ease

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 18/10/2011 - 15:41 Terry Pratchett’s Snuff (Doubleday) has become one of the fastest-selling novels since records began, shifting 54,687 copies at UK book retail outlets in its three days on sale last week. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #records began


Phil Redmond writes novel and memoir for Cornerstone

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Tue, 11/10/2011 - 07:50 "Grange Hill" writer Phil Redmond is to pen a memoir and novel for Random House imprint Cornerstone. M.d. Susan Sandon acquired world rights in the two books directly with Redmond, who is best known for creating three of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #as-yet-untitled memoir #books directly #arrow paperback


Editors Share Best Practices for Twitter

Twitter has become part of the daily routine for almost every editor, but are you using it as effectively as you can? Here, four very different editors offer their advice for engaging and growing readership via Twitter. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #daily routine


Child on top as Super Thursday boosts sales

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 04/10/2011 - 15:47 Six hardback books released on “Super Thursday” (29th September) sold more than 10,000 copies in their three days on sale last week, helping book sales soar past the £30m mark for the first time since December last year. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Don't write off physical too early, trade warned

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 30/09/2011 - 08:55 Publishers should not be too quick to write off physical products and should encourage competition between a number of digital players to avoid the mistakes the record industry made, the director general of the Entertainment... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #physical products #digital players #director general


Jamie installed as favourite to top Xmas charts

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 29/09/2011 - 14:30 Bookmakers William Hill have made Jamie Oliver the hot favourite to be the bestselling Christmas title. Given the runaway success of last year's 30-Minute Meals, it is no surprise that the bookmaker has given Oliver short odds... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hot favourite #runaway success #30-minute meals #great britain #biggest seller


Editors Share Twitter Best Practices

Twitter has become part of the daily routine for almost every editor, but are you using it as effectively as you can? Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #daily routine


Bezos tops Guardian book trade power list

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 26/09/2011 - 08:50 Amazon c.e.o. Jeff Bezos has been named as the most powerful man in books in a Guardian and Observer "power list" of the 100 key people in the trade. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jeff bezos #powerful man #power list


Marian Keyes to write cookery for MJ spring list

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 23/09/2011 - 08:35 Marian Keyes is writing a cookery title for Michael Joseph, as the imprint ramps up its spring food publishing list next year by releasing one title every month during the first half of 2012. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cookery title #marian keyes #michael joseph


P D James to write Austen murder mystery

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 22/09/2011 - 11:01 Faber is to publish a new detective novel from P D James which combines a murder investigation with the world and characters of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, revisiting Darcy and Elizabeth six years into their... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #murder investigation #jane austen #3rd november


Get author consent in writing, publisher agents told

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 22/09/2011 - 15:46 Agents who wish to publish their clients’ work must offer them a detailed explanation of what they will personally gain from the arrangement and obtain their full and written agreement, the president of the Association of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors agents #detailed explanation


Bloody Scotland to host crime writing festival

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 19/09/2011 - 08:20 Scotland is to hold its first Crime Writing Festival next year, supported by Stirling Council, Creative Scotland and the University of Stirling, and working closely with Stirling's general literary festival, Off the Page.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bloody scotland #creative scotland #working closely


Ratings for App Functionality: Who Made the Top Grade?

Nothing turns a tech user off faster than system malfunctions. In the arms race the app market has shaped up to be, publishers are debuting their offerings as quickly as they can produce them. Unfortunately, this often does not leave time to work out the final kinks of download issues, faulty... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #arms race


Philippa Gregory to write YA

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 15/09/2011 - 08:30 The Red Queen author Philippa Gregory is turning her hand to young adult fiction for the first time, after signing a deal with Simon & Schuster. Ingrid Selberg, director of children's publishing at S&S UK, and Jon... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ss children #philippa gregory #write ya #simon schuster #ingrid selberg #ss uk #executive vice-president #venetia gosling


To Kill a Mockingbird tops WBN poll

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 13/09/2011 - 09:00 Readers have nominated Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird as the book they would most like to see given away as part of next year's World Book Night. During the past two months, more than 6,000 book lovers had been nominating... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Out appoints new editor-in-chief

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 08/09/2011 - 08:30 Tim Arthur has been appointed the UK editor-in-chief of the Time Out media group. Arthur will oversee the editorial and content of the group's UK activities, including the Time Out guidebook series and Time Out London... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media group #london magazine


One Day top as new releases fail to boost market

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 06/09/2011 - 16:04 David Nicholls' One Day (Hodder) remains comfortably the bestselling book in the UK. The novel, which currently tops the Amazon, Apple and Waterstone's ebook charts, sold 83,050 physical copies of its original and tie-in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk booksellers #previous week #bestselling book #ebook charts #popular purchase #james patterson