Best of London Book Fair 2018: we pick some of the highlights
list.co.uk – Saturday April 7, 2018
Every year the great and the good of the literary world descend upon London for three intensive days of author talks, panel discussions and seminars on the most pressing issues facing publishing today. With nearly 200 events taking place, the LBF's behemoth programme is daunting to even the most seasoned of industry professionals. But this year, we've got your back. Whether you're an aspiring scribbler or simply an ardent bookworm, our guide will help you make the most out of the LBF.
How Trump Is Shaking Up the Book Industry
politico.com – Saturday April 7, 2018
Donald Trump’s election victory plunged America’s elite, liberal and coastal circles into an identity crisis, as journalists and pundits who had been so sure of a Trump loss grappled with charges of insularity and willful disregard. They penned introspective essays and took deep dives into the statistics only to conclude that they were indeed elite, liberal and coastal.
But in sleek SoHo penthouses, Brooklyn brownstones and Upper West Side cafés, a community that is perhaps the ultimate bubble—the New York fiction publishing industry—is still struggling to come to terms with its isolation. They are asking themselves how literature became so detached from the contours of American life in so many parts of the country. The perspectives of the white working classes and the rural poor, the demographics that handed Trump the presidency in 2016, have been largely absent from the novels printed every year. And as these demographics become increasingly central to the country’s political conversations, the publishing industry is wondering what it needs to do to change.
In conversation with Scottish crime fiction writer Ed James
theedinburghreporter.co.uk – Friday April 6, 2018
Fans of the Scott Cullen crime fiction series have welcomed the news that the Edinburgh detective will be returning to duty later this year after author Ed James took a short break to concentrate on other novels featuring characters like Dundee-based DS Vicky Dodds books and DI Simon Fenchurch who investigates crimes in London’s east end.
The prolific writer aims to publish another two Fenchurch books before the popular Cullen returns to the Edinburgh streets in October.
After a number of rejection letters, Ed started publishing his books on Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) which helps authors publish books directly to Kindle devices and apps and relatively quickly he was able to give up a lucrative career in IT project management to write full time.
Twitter Is Roasting Bad Male Authors And Their Crappy Writing
junkee.com – Tuesday April 3, 2018
The world is full of bad writers, and a huge portion of them are dudes. It’s just science! One thing that crappy male authors are particularly guilty of doing is describing women incredibly badly.
While men writing incredibly lazy, sexist and anatomically-incorrect descriptions of women in novels is something of an evergreen issue, this particular batch of mockery sprung up from a particular tweet.
Author Gwen C. Katz posted an incredibly interesting example of a male writer convinced that he had written an ‘authentic female protagonist’.
How do you keep a non-profit literary magazine going for eight years? Ask the co-founders of ‘Spark’
scroll.in – Friday March 30, 2018
When Anupama Krishnakumar and Vani Viswanathan started the online literary magazine Spark in January 2010, they weren’t sure how many issues they would be able to put out into the world. In January 2018, they celebrated eight years of the magazine and in April, their 100th issue will be released.
Putting out a literary magazine every month for eight years has its challenges, especially when running it alongside professional and personal commitments. Each month, the magazine focuses on a theme, ranging from “Navarasas” to “Life Online” to “Shopping”, features writing across genres and is freely available to read without advertising or a subscription fee. In an interview with Scroll.in, the co-founders spoke about their individual understanding of how the magazine has survived, the practical approach to running a non-commercial venture, how they choose what submissions to feature, the pressures of multiple responsibilities, and the changes in creative writing online.
Sean Penn Tries Writing
nationalreview.com – Thursday March 29, 2018
I’ll be the first to concede that I am sometimes — in the spirit of KDW and WFB — prone to a bit of sesquipedalian ostentation. Some call it legerdemain; some call it shtick. And, to be honest, sometimes it is shtick, but at least the reader is in on it. Anyway, I bring this up without apology, simply to head off the lazier charges of hypocrisy. But also to introduce some of the worst writing I’ve seen in a while, even if it is intended to be an homage to Thomas Pynchon.
Sean Penn has written a novel. Claire Fallon, over at the Huffington Post’s U.K. encampment, has done the heroic work of reading it. She’s posted excerpts:
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday March 28, 2018
Publishes: Essays; Fiction; Nonfiction; Poetry; Reviews
Areas include: Arts; Culture; Literature; Philosophy; Short Stories; Translations
Markets: Adult
Preferred styles: Literary
Online literary journal publishing literary fiction and nonfiction, reviews, poetry, art and photographic essays. See website for submission guidelines.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday March 28, 2018
Publishes: Fiction; Nonfiction
Areas include: Culture
Markets: Children's
Preferred styles: Contemporary
Publishes picture books and narrative nonfiction focused on diversity for 4 to 8 year olds up to 500 words (prefers 200-400 words). Particularly interested in contemporary writing with modern-day settings, especially if they feature Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic families. Publishes almost exclusively authors of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
Canceled Deals and Pulped Books, as the Publishing Industry Confronts Sexual Harassment
nytimes.com – Tuesday March 27, 2018
Elizabeth Rusch’s picture book about Mario Molina, the Mexico-born chemist who won the Nobel Prize for his work studying the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer, was a decade in the making. It took her nearly 30 drafts to get it right, and she was thrilled when the children’s publisher Charlesbridge acquired it in 2013. The book was finally due out next month.
Then, news broke that the book’s illustrator, David Diaz, had been accused of sexual harassment. Worried the book would be clouded by the controversy, Charlesbridge decided to postpone publication of “Mario and the Hole in the Sky,” pulp the finished copies and hire a new illustrator.
9 tips for writing your own murder mystery, from a published author
cosmopolitan.com – Monday March 26, 2018
So, you’ve got a great idea for a murder mystery novel – what do you do next? Writing a book can feel daunting, but if you're dead set (wahey) on writing a thriller, AJ Waines, number one bestselling author on Amazon, shares the inside know-how on getting that brilliant story out of your head and on to the page below.
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