Startup of the week: RedDoor
thebookseller.com – Saturday July 2, 2016
Bridging the gap between traditional and self-publishing, RedDoor Publishing aims to provide a credible platform for authors who are "slipping through the net as traditional publishers become increasingly (and understandably) risk averse." It operates in the same way as a traditional publishing house, except its authors pay for pre-production and first print run of their book.
'In stressed times, we can take comfort in wildlife': why nature-writing is 'exploding'
firstwriter.com – Thursday June 30, 2016
Now in its third year, the Wainwright nature-writing prize has announced its shortlist, spotlighting what one judge called an “exploding” field, as more and more writers and readers are turning to this genre as a balm for the woes of modern life.
Lionsgate UK, Idris Elba Launch Writing Competition; ‘King’s Speech’ Producer Boards Jamie Vardy Biopic – Global Briefs
deadline.com – Wednesday June 29, 2016
Lionsgate UK and Idris Elba’s Green Door Pictures are partnering to launch the Write To Green Light competition, designed to discover new creative voices for television in the returnable drama space. Lionsgate’s Zygi Kamasa and Elba will judge the entries alongside a panel of industry experts.
Publishers need to help foster a love of reading
thebookseller.com – Tuesday June 28, 2016
Publishers need to work harder at creating the need for books as a product, rather than focusing on their brands, delegates to The Bookseller’s Marketing and Publicity Conference have heard.
Speaking during a panel entitled ‘Is our business like show business?: What we should (and shouldn’t!) learn from other industries', Chris McCrudden (pictured), strategy director at Golin PR, said that publishers should “create the need for product before they create the need for brand”, adding that at the moment that there are “lots and lots and lots of little campaigns trying to get you to buy a particular book, but nothing trying to get consumers to buy books in general”.
Books are making a comeback as sales rise again
theaustralian.com.au – Sunday June 26, 2016
“A book is a dream that you hold in your hand.” Luckily for dreamers and writers such as British storyteller Neil Gaiman, responsible for that quote, the printed book lives on.
Just as Michael Bodey wrote last week of the rude good health of the radio industry, against all expectations, the traditional book is making a comeback. Last year, for the first time in nearly a decade, book sales rose in Australia — by 2.4 per cent to $979 million. Add $410m in education sales and leading Australian publishers are starting to see a way through the digital disruption of the past decade.
Former Orion editor Silk becomes literary agent
thebookseller.com – Thursday June 23, 2016
Former Orion editor Julia Silk is forging a new career path as a literary agent in association with MBA Literary Agents.
Silk, who has worked as an editor for 15 years, most recently with Orion, will be building her own client list with a focus on commercial fiction, crime and thrillers, extending to accessible literary fiction "if a voice really grabbed me".
She is also open to proposals for "platform-driven non-fiction", in the areas of parenting and lifestyle, fashion, style and beauty, as well as narrative non-fiction and memoir.
"The Literary Lunch" Podcast Hosts Smith Publicity President Sandy Smith
digitaljournal.com – Wednesday June 22, 2016
Sandy Smith, president of prolific book marketing agency Smith Publicity, was recently invited to join the hosts of the popular Literary Lunch podcast and share her thoughts on book publicity strategies. "The Literary Lunch" is hosted by Laura Rothschild and Sandra O'Donnell, Ph.D., both of whom are literary agents and the co-founders of RO Literary Agency.
Literary Agent Lindsay Framson Leaves UTA, Joins Kaplan/Perrone As Manager
deadline.com – Wednesday June 22, 2016
Framson had been at UTA for eight years. She started in the agency’s mailroom in 2008 and worked in the TV lit department as an agent for the past four years. Clients who will stay with her in her new role as manager and become clients of Kaplan/Perrone include Justin Brenneman (Quantico), Kyle Flynn, Kathleen Hale, Danielle Henderson (Divorce), Emily Hirshey (The Ranch), Matt Hausfater (Undateable), Deirdre Mangan (iZombie), Morgan Margraf & Jerica Lieberman (Mistresses) and Jack Lawrence Mayer (Single Long).
Online journal in search of writing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday June 22, 2016
Forage Poetry Journal is a recently created online journal in search of writing and art that is accessible, and that "reaches into that space between our heads and our hearts to open a door to something we had almost missed".
The magazine is accepting submissions on a theme of the Poetry of Tragedy until July 20th, 2016. The submission page also contains information on upcoming themes and future deadlines.
The magazine also welcomes creative nonfiction, essays, photography and original artwork for each theme.
Bards beware: Fiction-writing AI demanding spot at table of content
japantimes.co.jp – Sunday June 19, 2016
It was a dark, overcast day, with clouds hovering low.
The room was kept at the most appropriate temperatures and humidity, as usual. Yoko sat on a couch in an untidy manner, killing time with a silly game. But she would not talk to me.
I’m bored. I could not be bored more . . .
So begins a short story titled “A day when a computer writes fiction.” The story, in which boredom prods a computer into writing a novel, was created with the help of artificial intelligence.
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