The truth about book prizes, why Amazon is like an old-fashioned library and how much famous writers really earned from their journalism …Periodically, signs go up saying that Grub Street is closed to through traffic. Observers speculate that the street is being redeveloped as gentrification forces the former inhabitants to move out, or else that the closure may be due to the expansion of the neighbouring university’s English department. Older heads are shaken in what had been the local pub but is now a coffee’n’crafts shop: there used to be more life in the place, they mourn, when bohemian writers could dash off a review against the clock to pay for their round. Even if Grub Street is eventually reopened, it will never be the same again, and anyway it will probably have been renamed “Creatives Crescent”.Such cliches and exaggerations are characteristic of this genre of lament. Like most keening for the good old days, these threnodies are not pieces of dispassionate historical analysis: they are attempts to compensate for so much that is disagreeable about one’s own time by inventing a more or less idealised version of the past. Still, it is worth wondering why “Grub Street” should be the form taken by paradise lost in this case. After all, the street originally so named in London (it was real before it was metaphorical) came to be the home of that kind of “grub” defined by the OED as “a person of mean abilities; a dull industrious drudge; a literary hack”. Even allowing... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
Out of Print, the film documentary by Vivienne Roumani about the state-of-affairs in the book business and the culture of reading in America circa 2013, is worth seeking out. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Robin Straus in association with Andrew Nurnberg has acquired the New York-based Wallace Literary... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Taryn Fagerness, a literary agent in Washington, talks about her recent success with author Matthew Dicks and how she's optimistic about the digital future of publishing. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#recent success
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Chatto & Windus has won an eight-publisher auction for a book which will give readers “... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bidart, Wolcott, and playwright David Rabe are among the recipients of the 2014 PEN Literary Awards. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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I enjoyed the Windows-based Transformer Book T100 I tested a few months ago, so I was excited to see how its Android-powered sibling would stack up. The engineers at Asus engineers have now proven themselves to be pros at designing 2-in-1 tablet/laptop hybrids running in both Windows and Android... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2014-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#months ago
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In reviews of previous versions of InDesign, the looming question was always, “Is this version worth the cost of the upgrade or can I skip it?” But with Adobe’s switch to the Creative Cloud subscription model, this question is meaningless. Every subscriber receives the latest version as soon as... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2014-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#ll receive
PEN American Center, the largest branch of the world’s leading literary and human rights organization, today announced the winners of the 2014 PEN Literary Awards. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Looking to get that novel you've been plugging away at in your "spare time" published with ease? Well, Evernote now offers an option for doing just that, thanks to a partnership with FastPencil. The note-taking and productivity repository allows you... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2014-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#published books
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In charge of Curtis Brown's translation rights department, agent Jonathan Lyons talks here about the challenges and opportunities in today's book publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Patricia Lakin reflects on discovering that her successful children's book, Clarence the Copy Cat, is out of print and what she can do to bring it back. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Focusing on the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize, WME literary agent Cathryn Summerhayes argues that book prizes are key to spotlighting talent for the global market. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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No Exit Press has acquired a literary thriller by US author and journalist William Giraldi.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Major book publishers such as Penguin Random House and HarperCollins are once again investing heavily in promotional materials for the five days of Comic-Con International: San Diego, held at the San Diego Convention Center. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary agent Marly Rusoff is re-releasing, through her publishing imprint Maiden Lane Press, a debut novel by Jonathan Odell. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A starred review for Rowan Williams' exploration of Christian essentials; Lysa TerKeurst offers advice on making decisions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After producing a long line of ebook readers and tablets (not to mention a set-top box), Amazon has its sights set on the smartphone market. But finding success here won't be easy, even for an established tech giant like Amazon. With the Fire phone,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Los Angeles might often be dismissed by the bookish as a 'Hollywood Town' but it is home to numerous small presses and a vibrant literary community. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#literary circles
PW is pleased to announce GalleyTracker, a new platform for submitting review copies for our consideration. The system enables publishers to submit print and digital galleys as well as all related information and to check review status on their submissions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#traditional publishers
Could goalie Camus cope with an attack formed by Burroughs, Ballard and Bolaño? Guardian readers imagined football squads made from their favourite writers. As the World Cup comes to an end, we take a look at our best fictional elevens. But what team would you put your money on? Back when the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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