Penguin Random House Is Building the Perfect Publishing House
newrepublic.com – Wednesday September 12, 2018
When Penguin and Random House announced in the fall of 2012 that they intended to merge, Hurricane Sandy was barreling toward New York City, America’s publishing capital. It was an instant metaphor for headline writers: “As Sandy Loomed, the Publishing Industry Panicked.” People inside both companies worried about their jobs; people outside the companies worried about the market power of a new conglomerate comprised of the country’s two largest trade publishers. Agents and authors, meanwhile, worried that the consolidation would further drive down advances.
Random House’s top brass insisted that there was no need to panic. “The continuity will far outweigh the change,” Markus Dohle, the CEO of what would become Penguin Random House, told The New York Times when the merger was completed the following summer. “We have the luxury to take the time before we make any strategic decisions. There is no need to rush.”
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday September 12, 2018
Handles: Fiction; Nonfiction
Areas: Autobiography; Biography; Crime; Culture; Current Affairs; Entertainment; Erotic; Fantasy; Film; Horror; Humour; Music; Mystery; Sci-Fi; Suspense; Thrillers
Markets: Adult; Youth
Treatments: Commercial; Contemporary; Dark; Literary; Mainstream; Popular; Positive; Progressive; Satirical; Serious; Traditional
Currently selling a lot of nonfiction books but more focused on finding commercial novels now. Seeking ambitious epic books with attractive characters to lend themselves for movie adaptations. Think big! Check out the detailed Q&A with me on my agency Facebook site as it will give you a lot of info about why I might be the right agent for you.
E-book pricing: because you’re worth it
irishtimes.com – Monday September 10, 2018
You’re a self-published author. You’re digitally publishing and you are responsible for pricing your e-book. How do you decide the price?
There are two schools of thought in the interminable self-publishing pricing discussion. One believes firmly in the pile ’em high and sell ’em cheap philosophy. The other side holds that to be a horrible undervaluation of our talents and time.
I’m firmly in the second camp. I’ve long been of the opinion that self-published authors selling at “remaindered bin” prices are doing themselves, and self-publishing authors generally, a huge disservice. They’re not valuing their own work sufficiently highly, and they’re encouraging readers to place less value on independently published work than traditionally published. They’re saying, “my book is not as good as one you would find in a bookshop, so I can’t charge as much for it. The only way I can encourage you to buy it is if I either give it away free, or charge what a bookshop would charge for books that nobody wants (the ‘remaindered bin’)”.
Why has that become an accepted tactic?
New Literary Agency Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday September 7, 2018
Handles: Fiction
Areas: Adventure; Humour; Mystery
Markets: Children's; Youth
Accepts submissions across all genres and age ranges in children's books. Send query by email with a description of your book, author bio, and literary or relevant professional credits, and first three chapters (or roughly 25 pages) for novels, or complete ms if your work is a picture book. No picture books over 1,000 words. Response in 6-8 weeks.
Should writers only write what they know? What I learned from my research
theconversation.com – Tuesday September 4, 2018
As an academic in creative writing, I attend a lot of literary events. One question I can always count on being asked is, “can I write characters of other backgrounds?” This has been a growing concern since Lionel Shriver at the 2016 Brisbane Writers Festival unleashed a tirade against what she called “censorship” in writing – referring to criticism of her book The Mandibles.
The recent ABC Q&A episode, Stranger Than Fiction, in conjunction with the Melbourne Writers’ Festival, showed the many sides of the “write what you know” debate. Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad and Sofie Laguna argued that space should be given for marginalised groups to represent themselves. Maxine Beneba Clarke pointedly discussed when appropriation can be harmful, as was the case with Shriver’s representation of Latino and African American characters. Meanwhile, Trent Dalton argued that appropriation leads to a good story, which also takes empathy and care.
West Side Publishing Will Launch Little Grasshopper Books
publishersweekly.com – Saturday September 1, 2018
Children's publisher West Side Publishing is launching a new imprint, Little Grasshopper Books, likely by the end of the year. The imprint will encompass a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction formats, from board books to books with virtual-reality components, primarily aimed for children five and under.
The new imprint marks West Side Publishing owner Lou Weber’s re-entry into the world of children’s books. As president and founder of Publications International (PIL), a publisher of automotive titles, cookbooks, inspirational formats, and brain games and puzzle books, Weber was long involved in children’s publishing—especially licensed sound books and interactive formats—until PIL sold its children’s publishing unit to Chinese-owned company Phoenix International Publications in 2014. The latter continues to operate the business under the PI Kids name.
Women reveal the VERY irritating mistakes male authors make in writing female characters - including describing itchy tights as 'sexy' and thinking EVERYONE can run in heels
dailymail.co.uk – Thursday August 30, 2018
Authors have the ability to immerse their readers in fictional words, but women everywhere believe they're still not getting one thing right: female characters.
Tumblr users from around the world have been penning advice to male authors about the common mistakes they make when writing female characters - and they'll strike a chord with women everywhere.
The tips, compiled in a Bored Panda thread, include a request to describe tights as 'itchy' rather than sexy and the handy tip that almost no women can run in heels
OWN IT! founder launches literary agency
thebookseller.com – Thursday August 30, 2018
Multimedia publisher OWN IT! has launched a literary agency arm, signing author Courttia Newland as its first client.
Billed as a “storytelling lifestyle brand” spearheaded by founder Crystal Mahey-Morgan, the company already operates as a book publisher, a record label and an events arm. Mahey-Morgan will be OWN IT!’s main agent, helping to “diversify how it works with storytellers to include literary representation”. The company is currently negotiating with several sub-agents about a foreign rights partnership, according to a spokesperson for the organisation.
Mahey-Morgan's previous contract negotiation experience includes a year at PFD as well as a three-year stint in the contracts department at Penguin Random House between 2008 and 2012. She described setting up a literary agency as "an obvious next step for OWN IT!"
'Godfather of the industry' Michael Sissons dies
thebookseller.com – Wednesday August 29, 2018
Veteran literary agent and “godfather of the industry” Michael Sissons has died aged 83.
Various agents have paid tribute to Sissons who died on Saturday (August 24th), following a stellar career which saw him representing names such as Simon Schama, Margaret Drabble and William Hague, setting up the Association of Authors' Agents, and overseeing PFD for almost half a century before acting as a senior consultant for the agency for the last decade.
“I would say that he was the godfather of the industry,” said Caroline Michel, c.e.o. of PFD, who had known Sissons for 30 years, since before she entered the publishing industry.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday August 29, 2018
Publishes: Poetry;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
Considers unpublished poems only. Submit via online submission system. See website for more details.
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