Lionel Shriver and the rigging of the book market
usa.spectator.co.uk – Saturday June 16, 2018
Should the arts reflect the demographic make-up of their society, and be subject to quotas and affirmative action, in the name of diversity? Or should they be exempt from the imposition of quotas, as a meritocracy in which the only affirmative action is the one that recognises talent? This, I reckon, is the question at the heart of this week’s media case, The People (on Twitter) versus Lionel Shriver.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday June 15, 2018
Publishes: Articles; Features; Fiction; Poetry; Reviews;
Areas include: Arts; Beauty and Fashion; Culture; Entertainment; Hobbies; How-to; Humour; Romance; Short Stories; Spiritual; Women's Interests;
Markets: Family;
Preferred styles: Positive
Provides a collaborative platform for art, encouragement and enjoying life. Our target audience is Women in all walks of life seeking to connect with others, share stories and laugh.
How To Write A Novel: Tips From Across The Literary Sphere
elle.com – Friday June 15, 2018
Who hasn't wistfully stared out of a train window, engrossed in a deep, perfectly soundtracked moment, and thought to themselves, "I think I've got a book in me"?
The trouble is, putting pen to paper is notoriously much harder than simply revelling in a cinematic moment during your daily commute.
Whether it's writer's block, a serious problem with procrastination, or not knowing what to do with your finished manuscript, ELLE invited some of publishing's most exciting names to discuss how to write the book in you, and then get it published.
Morality clauses: are publishers right to police writers?
theguardian.com – Wednesday June 13, 2018
Offensive opinions. Bullying. Sexual misconduct. As the literary world is rocked by scandal US publishers are asking authors to sign contracts with ‘morality clauses’. Are they really the answer?
When the American Libraries Association awards its Andrew Carnegie medals in New Orleans later this month, there will be no winner for excellence in non-fiction. Sherman Alexie, the poet and novelist who was due to receive it for a memoir, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, has declined the award following allegations of sexual harassment.
Last month, the novelist Junot Díaz withdrew from the Sydney writers’ festival and from chairing the Pulitzer prize board after being confronted by his own accusers. As the allegations swept through social media, another writer, Mary Karr, joined the fray, tweeting of her distress that her testimony to DT Max, the biographer of her one-time partner David Foster Wallace, about Foster Wallace’s abusive behaviour had been marginalised. “Deeply saddened by the allegations against #JunotDiaz & I support every woman brave enough to speak. The violence #DavidFosterWallace inflicted on me as a single mom was ignored by his biographer & @NewYorker as ‘alleged’ despite my having letters in his hand,” she wrote.
Halton swaps United for PEW
thebookseller.com – Wednesday June 13, 2018
Margaret Halton has left United Agents to join PEW Literary and will handle all foreign rights for the agency.
Halton joined PEW on Monday (11th June) and will work alongside Patrick Walsh and John Ash as an associate agent.
She has worked in publishing houses and literary agencies on both sides of the Atlantic and has been responsible for selling international rights in non-fiction titles such as Margaret Thatcher’s Memoirs and Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine, as well as novels by Toni Morrison, Zadie Smith and Nick Hornby.
Always Do a Test Run of That Fancy New Writing App
lifehacker.com – Saturday June 9, 2018
So you have a new writing app you’re dying to try, eh? Well, before you sit down to take on that big writing project, consider giving that app a solid test run so you can learn all the ins and outs first.
There’s this feeling that comes with a fancy new piece of writing software, or productivity software in general. It’s a feeling of potential, of power, like you’ve suddenly found the secret that’s going to help you to finish your novel, your screenplay, or that school paper that decides whether you pass or fail. Unfortunately, that feeling quickly fades when you realize you have no idea how to use it. If there’s one thing that will freeze your flow into self-manifested writer’s block, it’s an app’s learning curve.
Bill Clinton and James Patterson are co-authors – but who did the writing?
theguardian.com – Friday June 8, 2018
As the world’s bestselling author, James Patterson has his name on a lot of covers. Usually, the font size his hallmark enjoys overshadows that of a lesser known collaborator. Contrary to the popular adage, you can tell a lot by a book’s cover. The message on Patterson’s covers is clear: he is the selling point. But this is not the case with Patterson’s most recent title, The President Is Missing, where the name of his co-author, Bill Clinton, shares equal prominence.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Friday June 8, 2018
Publishes: Fiction; Nonfiction
Areas include: Autobiography; Crime; Drama
Markets: Adult
Accepts submissions from new and existing authors for fiction and nonfiction. Interested in real life, memoir, crime, passion, and human drama. Approach using online form on website or by post, including three draft chapters, the genre of your book, and your target market. See website for more details.
Harvill Secker launches BAME crime writing competition
thebookseller.com – Thursday June 7, 2018
Harvill Secker is launching a competition in partnership with Bloody Scotland to find a debut crime writer from a BAME (black, Asian, minority ethnic) background. At stake is a book deal with Harvill Secker with an advance of £5,000.
The prize will be judged by Harvill Secker writer and Bloody Scotland committee member Abir Mukherjee, the author of an historical crime series set in 1920s Calcutta; creator of the Shetland and Vera series, Ann Cleeves; co-founder of BAME in Publishing, Sarah Shaffi and Harvill Secker editorial director Jade Chandler.
Entrants can enter the competition online via Penguin's website, where they will be asked to submit the first 5,000 words of their crime novel, along with a full plot outline. Submissions are open from 9th July until 9th September 2018, with the winner due to be announced in November 2018.
Students crowdfund to launch writing anthology
thebookseller.com – Wednesday June 6, 2018
An anthology of work by students on the University of Warwick's MA in Writing programme is to be launched next week, after students crowd-funded the £5,000 needed to publish the title.
The anthology – manifest: New writing from Warwick – features the work of 21 students on the Warwick MA in Writing and includes poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction, a mix of full stand-alone pieces and excerpts from longer works, and a foreword from novelist Gonzalo C Garcia.
Students used the university's newly-launched crowdfunding platform, Spark, to recruit almost 100 ‘Friends of Manifest’ who each contributed towards the cost of publication and launch of the work.
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