Harper Lee never wanted Go Set a Watchman brought out, Sylvia Plath’s diary was burned by Ted Hughes – the controversial world of literary legacies When a writer is born into a family, the Polish poet Czesław Miłosz said, that family is finished. Yes, but when a writer dies that family’s troubles have only just begun. Wills may be contradictory and instructions to literary executors confused. Works left behind on computers or in desk drawers may be of uncertain status: were they intended for publication or not? And if the writer is famous enough, there’ll be biographers to deal with: can they be trusted to paint a kindly portrait? In their lifetime, authors have a measure of control. Once they’re gone, it’s left to others to guard their reputations.The vigilance can be fierce, with the appointed custodians (whether spouses, children, lawyers, agents, editors or friends) not so much keepers of the flame as dragons guarding a cave. Posterity is rarely kind to them: however they act, they will be accused of acting badly. If they deny the author’s wishes, as those acting for the French philosopher Michel Foucault have recently done by consenting to the publication of a book he hadn’t finished and didn’t want to come out, they will be called treacherous. And if they are overly loyal, destroying work the author disowned but that deserves to be saved, they will be called philistine or just plain stupid. Either way, they can’t shirk the role allotted them. They have an estate to... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
Writers are contributing to the fall in their incomes by penning free pieces for large companies in the hope that it will raise their profile and lead to book sales, Roxana Robinson, president of The Authors Guild, has told The Bookseller. She also said that Amazon was devaluing books and writing. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The AAP and Authors Guild co-hosted a panel last week on Capitol Hill about authorial-editorial collaboration, in advance of Congress’s review of the U.S. Copyright Act. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Maria Mutch needed advice on how to handle PR of her debut memoir, she found guidance and solace through Grub Street Writer's Launch Lab in Boston. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As HBG's dispute with the e-tailer continues, authors are starting to prepare for the long haul by forming their own organization. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Authors Guild is offering legal assistance to any MacAdam Cage author who wishes to mount a legal challenge to the agreement giving control of their ebook rights to MP Publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Ether for Authors, Porter Anderson looks at the ties many publishing companies have with Author Solutions, at Amazon debates, and at drinking on the job. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Peters, the well-known independent publisher of lifestyle books both sides of the Atlantic, died of cancer at his home in the U.K. on June 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The group's 1,500 members from all 50 states aim to provide “support and encouragement for the educators, librarians, parents, and students who are the first line of defense against censorship, and for the authors whose books are under attack.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Wind, who is also chief content officer at the Indie Book Publishers Association, is creating a limited collector's edition of his latest YA novel, initially published this spring by Chicago Review Press, as an incentive for donors to his Kickstarter campaign benefitting LGBTQ+ teens. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Heinold spent 25 years at Borders and Waldenbooks as a buyer and merchandise manager. She died at her home in Alexandria, Va., on February 10. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Urda died unexpectedly the morning of June 24 after collapsing at the gym. S&S CEO Jonathan Karp called him "was a quintessential sales executive, with a deep knowledge of our industry." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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McCormack, the longtime, famously outspoken executive who turned St. Martin’s Press from “an insignificant trade house on the brink of bankruptcy to a quarter-billion-dollar powerhouse,” died on June 15. He was 92. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Mr. Potter narrated the epic sagas of popular comic book heroes and villains on his channel Comicstorian. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-06-11 20:31:26 UTC ]
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Restaurateur Josh Niland and recipe developer Hetty Lui McKinnon scoop prizes in food publishing awards, which also honoured aid worker Zomi FrankcomGet our weekend culture and lifestyle emailTwo Australian cookbook authors have won prizes in this year’s James Beard Foundation awards, dubbed the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-06-11 07:21:43 UTC ]
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Writers say investments in book promotion to augment publishers’ in-house staff are key to successKatherine Reay has written a dozen novels. When The Berlin Letters, her most recent, hit the shelves earlier this year, she embarked upon a 30-stop promotional book tour.“I love the personal... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-06-07 11:30:48 UTC ]
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Working for The Associated Press, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his sequence of photos showing the president being struck by a bullet while three others fell wounded. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-06-05 00:19:24 UTC ]
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More than 380 authors, publishing houses, and advocacy groups have signed an open letter protesting "vague and overbroad" new South Carolina education standards, slated to take effect on June 25. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-06-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In columns and notably “The New York Times Book of Wine,” he introduced Americans to European and premium domestic varieties in the 1970s and ’80s. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2024-06-03 18:35:34 UTC ]
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