The Irrational Allure of the Next Big Thing

Earlier this week, Random House shelled out more than $3.5 million for Lena Dunham’s first book, Not That Kind of Girl. She has an amazing résumé for anyone, let alone a 26-year-old, having directed two feature films and scored four Emmy nominations for her TV show, HBO’s Girls. But what makes the book advance so surprising is that Dunham doesn’t have a track record of selling a lot of books. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2012-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #big thing #lena dunham #emmy nominations #tv show #track record

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Irrational Allure of the Next Big Thing'


A Debut Novel Examines the Alluring Trap of Our Online Personas

“Fake Accounts,” Lauren Oyler’s debut novel, considers how social media has reconfigured our behavior, relationships and how we think of ourselves. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-02-01 10:00:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fake accounts #lauren oyler #debut novel


Vaseem Khan | 'I wanted to write a book just for myself, and I put in there all the things I love'

Vaseem Khan was reading about the history of Mumbai as part of research for his successful Baby Ganesh Agency series—which stars the newly retired Inspector Chopra and the elephant he inherits on his last day of work—when he came across a fact that made him sit up. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-28 16:04:12 UTC ]
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As Political Divide Widens, Will Big Houses Rethink Conservative Publishing?

In the wake of the events of January 6, will the Big Five think twice about publishing conservative authors? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-22 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Tapas Sees Big Gains for Digital Comics

Digital comics delivered via mobile devices are attracting impressive traffic and generating revenue for artists and publishers. Tapas, a small U.S.-based mobile comics startup, reported impressive recent growth, and announced plans to partner with traditional print publishers like Scholastic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital comics #mobile devices #generating revenue #announced plans


Regnery Signs Hawley's 'The Tyranny of Big Tech'

Regnery Publishing has acquired Missouri Senator Josh Hawley’s 'The Tyranny of Big Tech' after the book was dropped by Simon & Schuster shortly after the riot that took place at the nation's Capitol on January 6. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big tech #regnery publishing


Amazon.com and 'Big Five' publishers accused of ebook price-fixing

Class action lawsuit filed in US claims the houses have colluded with the online giant to keep prices artificially highAmazon.com and the “Big Five” publishers – Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan and Simon & Schuster – have been accused of colluding to fix ebook... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-01-15 13:04:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers accused #ebook price-fixing #online giant #simon schuster #law firm #district court #retail giant #retail platforms #ebooks #macmillan


Book Biz Saw Little M&A in 2020, with Some Big Exceptions

Economic uncertainty limited merger and acquisition activity in the book business last year, but there were still a number of significant transactions, including Penguin Random House's planned purchase of Simon & Schuster Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book biz #planned purchase #simon schuster #book business


Stuart Lawrence | 'Without optimism and hope, I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do'

"I’m a very optimistic person. Without optimism and hope, I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do,” says Stuart Lawrence, the author of the uplifting and motivating Silence is Not an Option: You Can Impact the World for Change, which will be published by Scholastic in April. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-14 23:20:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stuart lawrence #scholastic


10 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth's favorite U.S. state, estimated wealth, nanny troubles, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-01-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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2020 was a great year for at least one thing: digital book loans from public libraries.

If you, like me, could really use some nice library-oriented news right about now, you’re in luck. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the impossibility of going to physical libraries for much of the year, readers borrowed record numbers of ebooks, audiobooks, and digital magazines from public... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-07 15:34:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #great year #digital magazines #public libraries #libraries #digital book


China Bestsellers: November’s Big Sales Rule the Charts

Major seasonal sales impacted the bestseller charts in China in November, as illustrated books saw strong performances from two children's book series. The post China Bestsellers: November’s Big Sales Rule the Charts appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-01-05 17:22:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #china bestsellers #charts appeared #illustrated books #strong performances #book series #children's book #bestseller charts


Bloomsbury mounts big campaign for Such a Fun Age paperback

Bloomsbury is to embark on "one of its biggest campaigns" ahead of the paperback release of Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-18 11:17:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paperback release #bloomsbury


Bad Sex award cancelled to spare people from more bad things

The Bad Sex in Fiction Award 2020 has been cancelled with organisers saying people have been “subjected to too many bad things this year” already. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-12-07 20:14:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bad things #bad sex


Calibre Audiobook Charity Joins the UK’s Big Give Holiday Challenge

The Calibre Audio charity for readers who have print disabilities is hoping to add 48 new audiobooks to its library this holiday season. The post Calibre Audiobook Charity Joins the UK’s Big Give Holiday Challenge appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-12-02 20:32:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #holiday season #audiobook


Make room for ‘Big Girl, Small Town’

Michelle Gallen’s winning novel documents one Irish woman’s effort to organize the chaos swirling around her. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-12-02 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #make room #big girl #small town #michelle gallen


Facts, just the facts: My 10-year-old has reminded me of the allure of the almanac

Paging through the “World Almanac and Book of Facts” has been surprisingly soothing. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-11-24 14:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeff Bezos’s thoughts on Big Business, outer space and The Washington Post

An anthology of writings provides a glimpse into the mind of the Amazon founder. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-11-20 13:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jeff bezos #big business #outer space #amazon founder #anthology


Lockdown's online shift fuelling 'crazy' market for big name authors, Redmayne says

A “seismic shift” to online shopping during the pandemic has fuelled a “crazy” market for acquisitions of big names, HarperCollins UK c.e.o. Charlie Redmayne has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-17 23:24:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big names #charlie redmayne #seismic shift #online shopping #harpercollins uk #harpercollins


“Hillbilly Elegy” Is the Last Thing America Needs in 2020

My first novel was released within six months of Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance’s memoir of Appalachian roots and a youth spent in a Rust Belt community with a dearth of jobs and resources. Vance’s book came out just before the 2016 election; mine was released just after. Donald Trump’s victory had... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-11-17 12:01:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hillbilly elegy #electric literature #memoir #first novel


Kamala Harris added to line-up for Little People, Big Dreams series

The Quarto Group's Frances Lincoln Children’s Books imprint has added US vice-president-elect Kamala Harris to its Little People, Big Dreams list for 2021.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-11-15 14:59:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quarto group #books imprint #quarto