There's lots to like at Upworthy, but not much to read

The fast-growing news-feature website leads the league in approvals. Is that because it publishes less rather than more?The driving belief for news websites is that more (that's more stories, features, videos, blogs) equals more hits and thus more money. But what if less can also equal more (positive responses from readers, that is)? Ezra Klein, blogging for the Washington Post, examines the startling success (from zero to over 80 million visitors in a month) of Upworthy.com, its rise underpinned by the average 43,446 readers who record how they "like" each post. That positivity of engagement and approval leaves other news sites trailing. The next in the "like" league manages only 5,854 a time.Yet Upworthy, which does no original stuff and merely trawls the internet for material, posts a mere 250 pieces a month. Its secret is painstaking curation, aimed at the Facebook crowd. Less, in terms of speed, staffing and sweat, does seem to add up to something quite unexpected – and a bit of jolt for news sites (from HuffPost on down) who've put ubiquity first.In conventional terms, the established paths still wind onwards and upwards. Mail Online was busy last week rejoicing over a great November: 168 million unique browsers worldwide, 54 million in Britain alone, annualised spurts of 50% and 32% alone. The CEO at the Sun, touting his 117,000 digital subscribers, may sniff over the Mail's no-paywall figures. The Mail may not find the Bun's claims too compelling. Proper newspaper... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #trinity mirror #bottom line

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Why Do We Even Read?: Book Censorship News, February 9, 2024

Thanks to algorithms, our digital worlds are created for us, not by us. As a result, libraries are seen by some as scary because they reach an entire community—not just an individual. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-02-09 12:30:00 UTC ]
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Your Valentine’s Day reading list needs more than romance novels

Our book reviewers offer up bouquets to unexpected tales of love and affection, from a long marriage to a passion for the movies. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2024-02-08 20:38:00 UTC ]
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5 New Books to Read for Black History Month

These books by Black authors include moving explorations of the past, bold visions of the future, and sage advice for the present. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-02-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Must-Read Historical Fiction Set in Italy

The best historical fiction set in Italy, like these nine titles, explores the complex and even chaotic history of the country. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-18 11:31:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #historical fiction


15 Small Press Books You Should Be Reading This Winter

Solstice has come and gone, but in addition to the returning of the light, we can also herald another excellent small press publishing season. What I love about these titles is the richness of imagination and inquiry, leading to inventive plots in fiction and deep emotional honesty in... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2024-01-15 12:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #electric literature #small press


Your Guide to Reading More Short Stories and Anthologies

Short stories and anthologies can open up new horizons in reading. If you want to explore more short fiction, here are some tips. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-08 11:32:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short fiction #short stories


What Booksellers Can Teach Us About Reading, Writing and Publishing

My longtime girlfriend is a longtime bookseller. Her relationship with bookselling predates ours three times over. It is a surprisingly taxing career path—one that asks of the body, and of the mind. There are the bad days, where she brings home the classic bookseller gripes: failed hand-sells,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2024-01-05 09:56:55 UTC ]
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The First Books You Should Read in 2024

To celebrate the new year, our reviews editors share eight books guaranteed to get your year in reading started on the right foot—err, page. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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9 New Nonfiction Releases to Read in January

Whether you love pop culture or self-help, are more of a memoir fan, or want to read more about science, there’s something for everyone here. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2024-01-03 11:33:00 UTC ]
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10 books to add to your reading list in January

Bethanne Patrick recommends 10 new books to kick off 2024, including an alternate Mexican history, memoirs of wildfire seasons and open marriage and more. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-29 11:00:49 UTC ]
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18 New Books to Read in January

A look at the Trump-DeSantis rivalry, a witty tribute to “Murder on the Orient Express,” a memoir of open marriage and an epic Swedish novel in verse, among others. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-29 10:01:35 UTC ]
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The best books we read in 2023

With El Niño slated to drop a warm, wet winter on most of the US in the coming months, everybody’s going to need something good to read while the weather outside is frightful. Engadget’s well-read staff have some suggestions: our favorite books of 2023! We’ve got a phenomenal assortment of... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-25 16:30:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #le carr #hay house #book store #literary fiction #science fiction #final book #favorite book #debut novel #manga #books written


Reading James McBride’s ‘The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store’

The Book Review editors MJ Franklin, Joumana Khatib and Elisabeth Egan discuss McBride’s historical novel about fate and community. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-22 14:25:14 UTC ]
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The Complicated Experience of Reading a Late Friend’s Novel

In October, I received an email from an editor at Toronto-based Coach House Books. It was a simple request for me to provide a blurb for the book jacket of the latest book by R.M. Vaughan, the brilliantly titled Pervatory. Except there wasn’t anything simple about it: Vaughan, who I referred to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-20 09:49:37 UTC ]
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20 Must-Read Historical Fiction Books Set in Korea

These books provide us with a deeper understanding of what Korea is beyond what we hear or see in popular culture. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-15 11:30:00 UTC ]
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The Memories of Streets: A Reading List of NYC Books That Capture the City’s Many Sides

By instinct and intention, I have been reading books about New York or set in New York since I was a kid. Each one uncovers a facet of the city. Together they form my picture of the life that is hidden inside its buildings or around the corner. Some of these titles, I read when […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-14 09:51:18 UTC ]
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The Annotated Nightstand: What Rachel Zucker is Reading Now and Next

During the often-dread-inducing/dreadful time of year when publications are putting out there “best of the year” lists, I’m glad to shine a light on a book I loved and deserved more attention than it seemed to receive. This is always a hard task, especially for small press books. I would have... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-14 09:44:56 UTC ]
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The 10 Most-Read Book Reviews of 2023

In 2023, as we do each year, we published thousands of reviews of thousands of new books. But of all the reviews we published, these are the 10 you read the most. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Read these great books published by Lit Hub staff members in 2023.

As you probably know, Literary Hub is produced by a small staff; most of us are writers, and/or moonlight as editors on other projects. This year, four of our number—that would be 36% percent of full time Literary Hub staffers, not too shabby—published books, which is certainly worthy of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-11 17:52:31 UTC ]
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A Book Club Took 28 Years to Read ‘Finnegans Wake.’ Now, It’s Starting Over.

The group in California started on the notoriously challenging novel by James Joyce in 1995. In October, it reached the end. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-12-07 10:40:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #james joyce #book club