Joyce Carol Oates calls out the censorship of white, male authors
thepostmillennial.com – Tuesday July 26, 2022
Celebrated American author Joyce Carol Oates noted a literary trend on Sunday, which is that writing by white male authors is in a negative demand. She wrote that work by white male authors will not even be seen due to their race and sex. While Oates noted this issue on Sunday, it has been building in the arts community since at least 2004, as I wrote about in 2019.
"[A] friend who is a literary agent told me that he cannot even get editors to read first novels by young white male writers," Oates wrote, "no matter how good; they are just not interested. this is heartbreaking for writers who may, in fact, be brilliant, & critical of their own 'privilege.'"
Oates stated that this was "heartbreaking" for those writers who buy into the ideology of white privilege, and who may even be "critical" of it, but it is just as hard a pill to swallow for those white male writers who are not burdened by the inherent detriments associated with their race and sex.
Showdown: DOJ’s Bid to Block PRH Acquisition of S&S Is Heading to Trial
publishersweekly.com – Sunday July 24, 2022
After a flurry of last-minute filings and orders, the U.S. Department of Justice’s bid to block Penguin Random House’s acquisition of rival Big Five publisher Simon & Schuster is ready for court. Oral arguments are set to begin on August 1 before Judge Florence Pan at the E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C., with the trial expected to run nearly three weeks.
According to recent filings, 72 total hours have been allotted for arguments—38 hours for the government, and 34 hours for the defense. The witness lists include a few boldface names, including many of the Big Five CEOs, some major literary agents, and bestselling author Stephen King, who is listed as a witness for the government.
The closely watched case holds major implications for a publishing industry that has been grappling with consolidation for years. It also looms as a key test for the government amid growing calls for more vigilant antitrust enforcement, and in the wake of a stinging defeat in 2018 in its bid to block the massive $85 billion merger between AT&T and Time Warner.
Lit Agent David Boxerbaum to Join Verve Agency
thewrap.com – Saturday July 23, 2022
Top Paradigm literary agent David Boxerbaum is leaving the company for a position at Verve Talent and Literary Agency, Verve announced Thursday.
Boxerbaum joined Paradigm in January 2012 following a stint at APA Agency. He also previously worked at William Morris, Metropolitan and Endeavor after he started his career working for producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Boxerbaum is known for his expertise in the spec script market. He brings with him a notable roster of directors, writers and producers.
Your chance to be a top author: Who hasn’t dreamt of having a novel published? Well, today the Mail gives you the chance to do exactly that. Send us part of your story and a synopsis, and you could win a book deal – with a £20,000 advance!
dailymail.co.uk – Saturday July 23, 2022
Have you ever dreamed of seeing your novel in a bookshop alongside those of your favourite authors?
Is there a hard-edged thriller inside you, just bursting to get out, or a brilliantly researched historical adventure, a tear-jerking romance or even a comedy of modern manners?
Many of us dream of having a bestseller — but first you have to get your novel published, a daunting prospect in today’s competitive book market. Until now.
DAW Books Acquired By Astra Publishing House
tor.com – Thursday July 14, 2022
In big news for science fiction and fantasy publishing, DAW Books is no longer an independently owned publisher. This morning, Astra Publishing House announced its acquisition of the storied SFF imprint.
In a press release, DAW co-publishers (and, until today, owners) Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert said, “We are extremely pleased by Astra’s enthusiasm, and thrilled that we will be the sole SFF imprint of their company (a first for DAW). We think this is the perfect fit for us, and it’s exciting and refreshing to be an integral part of a new and growing company. It speaks volumes about Astra’s respect for our company that they have included our entire staff. We’re very happy.”
Stylist Short Stories: here’s how to submit your debut short story writing to feature on Stylist Extra
stylist.co.uk – Wednesday July 13, 2022
At Stylist, we love a good story. Whether it’s a thought-provoking tale from Emma Cline’s 2020 collection Daddy or the exciting promise of Lisa Taddeo’s forthcoming Ghost Lover, we believe a tight, well-crafted short story can be just as compelling as a novel. And, more importantly, we know that our readers have stories to tell too.
If that’s you, then you’ve come to the right place. Stylist publishes a new short story (fiction) from a captivating writer each week – and we want your submissions. You don’t have to be established or have even written a story before to submit; we’re more interested in the quality of your words than your writing experience. Stylist Short Stories aren’t limited by genre, either – we’re after romance, horror, crime, fantasy, historical fiction and everything in between. All that we ask is that you’re an original talent whose voice resonates with fellow readers.
Stein to head new literary division of The Bright Agency
thebookseller.com – Tuesday July 12, 2022
Arabella Stein is heading a new literary division at The Bright Agency representing fiction, children’s books, YA, general non-fiction and graphic novels.
Bright has represented authors and author-illustrators for many years in children’s fiction and is now expanding to be a full-service creative agency, representing talent across writers, illustrators and animators.
The new arm, Bright Literary, is being led by m.d. Stein, whose list has included award-winning and bestselling picture book creators such as Benji Davies, Chris Chatterton, Yasmeen Ismail and Carys Bexington. She also represents Hannah Peck, who’s 2021 debut author-illustrated chapter book Kate on the Case (Piccadilly Press) was shortlisted for the V&A Illustration awards and the Alligator’s Mouth Award.
Comics/Graphic Novel Sales Jumped 62% in 2021
publishersweekly.com – Saturday July 2, 2022
Sales of comics and graphic novels rose 62% in 2021 over 2020, according to a new joint estimate by ICv2's Milton Griepp and Comichron's John Jackson Miller. Total comics and graphic novel sales to consumers in 2021 in the U.S. and Canada were approximately $2.07 billion, the report found, a sales level that is 70% higher than sales in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.
Consumer sales of graphic novels, driven by manga, jumped 76% in the year, to an estimated $1.47 billion, while sales of comics increased 53%, to $435 million. Sales of digital comics, which had a big gain in 2020, rose slightly in 2021, to $170 million.
Verve Promotes Noah Liebmiller & Jessica Zou To Agents
deadline.com – Wednesday June 29, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Verve has upped coordinators Jessica Zou and Noah Liebmiller to Agents in the Motion Picture Literary Team.
The agency, which has a tradition of surprising staffers with promotions, last week tasked Liebmiller and Zou with putting together a video as part of a signing exercise. I understand they were told that the video was not only important but needed to convey the theatrical gravitas of the signing pursuit. During a recent all-company staff meeting, the video was played to great reception and the promotions were announced by the co-heads of the Motion Picture Lit Team who reflected on how deserving both Liebmiller and Zou were of their new titles.
Clarion Launches New Imprint Headed by Linda Sue Park
publishersweekly.com – Sunday June 26, 2022
HarperCollins Children’s Books has announced the launch of Allida, a new imprint at Clarion Books led by author Linda Sue Park and Anne Hoppe, v-p and editorial director at Clarion. Park is the author of the Newbery Medal–winning A Single Shard and the bestselling A Long Walk to Water, which has sold more than three million copies, among many other acclaimed works for young readers, including picture books, novels, and poetry. Clarion is Park's longtime publisher.
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