First romantic fiction festival held in Manchester
thebookseller.com – Saturday July 20, 2024
The first romantic fiction festival was held in Manchester last week, which saw readers and writers gather from across the country.
Manchester Central Library hosted Love Stories etc festival on 13th July, with 28 author panels, five writing workshops and an immensely popular book stall staffed by romance experts from Waterstones Arndale.
Co-directed and co-founded by Simon & Schuster’s brand development director Sara-Jade Virtue and HarperNorth’s head of marketing and publicity Alice Murphy-Pyle, the cross-publishing festival featured authors from several publishers at all stages of their careers. Authors including Milly Johnson, Harriet Evans, Cesca Major, P J Ellis, Veronica Henry and Isabelle Broom took to the performance space, while workshops from literary agent Lisa Highton, the RNA and publishing staff helped inspire writers.
Digital Audio Up 15 Percent: A 23-Percent Jump YTD
publishingperspectives.com – Saturday July 20, 2024
In its May 2024 StatShot report released this morning (July 18), the Association of American Publishers (AAP) cites total revenues across all categories up 10.8 percent over May 2023, at US$1.1 billion.
Year-to-date revenues, the AAP reports, were up 5.5 percent, at US$5.2 billion for the first five months of the year.
For a second month, the United States’ book publishing industry—as assessed by the StatShot program—shows a significant boost. The analysis shows total gross sales increasing 5 percent, with net sales rising 11 percent, according to the report’s authors.
The trade itself—the commercial books industry and the part of the international business most closely followed by Publishing Perspectives—saw gross sales of 9 percent, but because of a 31-percent decrease in returns, that gross-sales figure jumped to 31 percent. Hardback and paperback formats in the trade saw increases of 21 percent and 17 percent, respectively, in net sales, boosting the year-to-date trade net sales to 5 percent.
United Agents' Kat Aitken and Seren Adams launch new agency Lexington Literary
thebookseller.com – Wednesday July 17, 2024
Kat Aitken and Seren Adams have left United Agents after nine years to found new agency, Lexington Literary.
The agency will be looking for new writers of bold and emotive literary and upmarket fiction, narrative non-fiction with a strong hook, and general non-fiction by experts and academics.
Their clients include Caleb Azumah Nelson, winner of the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize and bestselling author of Open Water and Small Worlds (Viking), #Merky Books Prize-winning debut novelist William Rayfet Hunter, Granta Best Young British Novelist Lauren Aimee Curtis, and forthcoming debut novelist Róisín Lanigan.
In non-fiction, Lexington Literary represents Forward Prize-shortlisted Ralf Webb, academic Orlando Reade, and Fitzcarraldo Essay Prize shortlistees Asa Seresin and Benoît Loiseau, among others.
Harrogate to welcome crime-writing celebs for return of annual festival
yourharrogate.co.uk – Wednesday July 17, 2024
The 21st Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is set to return to Harrogate this weekend, organised by Harrogate International Festivals.
The Festival, which takes place at Harrogate’s Old Swan Hotel from 18th-21st July, has been curated by 2024’s Festival Chair, bestselling crime novelist Ruth Ware.
Programme highlights include an all-star lineup of acclaimed writers and global bestsellers including Mick Herron, Louise Candlish, M.W. Craven, James Comey, Lucy Foley and Richard Osman.
It was also include the crowning of the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year and the much-anticipated Critics’ New Blood panel which showcases four talented debut novelists.
This year’s cohort, selected by a panel of the UK’s leading crime fiction critics, are Jonny Sweet, Martta Kaukonen, Claire Coughlan and Colin Walsh.
For aspiring writers, Creative Thursday offers an immersive day of workshops and talks led by bestselling writers and industry experts, with the unique opportunity to pitch work in the ‘Dragon’s Pen’.
Hounded out of my job in publishing
crowdjustice.com – Monday July 15, 2024
Who am I, and what's the story?
My name is Ursula Doyle, and I have worked in book publishing for more than thirty years. Since 2008 I have worked at Hachette UK, one of the UK’s leading publishing groups, first at its Virago imprint (a sub-brand of the publisher) before setting up my own imprint, Fleet, in 2016. Fleet publishes a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, and Fleet authors have between them won numerous awards, including four Pulitzers.
In 2020 I published Kathleen Stock’s influential book on sex and gender, Material Girls. Since then, I have been a target for abuse by colleagues in the book industry, who have used social media to accuse me of - among other things - bigotry, prejudice, transphobia and hatred, often tagging in my employer, Hachette, and Hachette’s Pride network.
Hachette have done nothing to protect me, and have created a hostile working environment for me and anyone else who shares my views. When two of Fleet's authors complained that my views were transphobic, the company agreed to move paperback editions of the authors' books away from the imprint to another part of the business, damaging my reputation both inside and outside the company. I became ill with stress and associated conditions, and finally resigned. I am bringing a claim of discrimination on the grounds of my gender-critical belief (sometimes known as 'sex realism'), and of sex discrimination.
Best in Rural Writing contest 2024 opens for submissions
agriland.ie – Monday July 15, 2024
Now in its second year, the Best in Rural Writing contest is accepting fiction and non fiction entries under 6,000 words.
Those interested in taking part have until September 30, 2024 to submit their work.
The contest will be judged by Dr. Chea Parton, founder of ‘Literary in Place’, which advocates for rural literacy by providing educational resources on writing and reading, as well as various initiatives for rural teens.
The first place entry in the best in rural writing contest will receive $500, while the runner-up will be awarded $200.
Stories written with AI assistance found to be more creative, better written and more enjoyable
techxplore.com – Sunday July 14, 2024
A study published in the journal Science Advances finds that AI enhances creativity by boosting the novelty of story ideas as well as the 'usefulness' of stories—their ability to engage the target audience and potential for publication. The paper is titled "Generative AI enhances individual creativity but reduces the collective diversity of novel content."
It finds that AI "professionalizes" stories, making them more enjoyable, more likely to have plot twists, better written and less boring.
In a study in which 300 participants were tasked with writing a short, eight-sentence 'micro story' for a target audience of young adults, researchers found that AI made those deemed less creative produce work that was up to 26.6% better written and 15.2% less boring.
However, AI was not judged to enhance the work produced by more creative writers.
Audible Introduces New Royalty Model For Authors and Publishers
goodereader.com – Sunday July 14, 2024
Amazon announced in a blog post it has come up with a new royalty model that will enable creators to monetize more varied content types. Amazon said it devised the new royalty model after engaging extensively with the authors and publishers and taking into account their feedback on this. The company also said the new model will mean better business opportunities for the authors and publishers as more titles qualify for generating royalty than ever before. This applies to even those titles that are part of Amazon’s all-you-can-listen plan, Audible Plus.
That is not all as the new business model aims to offer enhanced insights to publishers and creators. Participants opting into this model will receive monthly statements and royalty payments that are aimed to facilitate prompt decision-making. Additionally, they will gain further insights into how listener engagement affects their earnings.
Kemi Ogunsanwo launches Seventh Agency after leaving The Good Literary Agency
thebookseller.com – Saturday July 13, 2024
Kemi Ogunsanwo has launched her own agency after leaving The Good Literary Agency (TGLA), where she worked as a senior agent.
Ogunsanwo’s new venture is London-based Seventh Agency that is dedicated to empowering writers who "inspire, enlighten and empower readers".
Ogunsanwo said: "Seventh Agency was born out of a need to address what still feels like a huge gap in the market, both in the UK and overseas. I hope Seventh Agency helps contribute to the shift towards a more progressive and nuanced view of the stories told by writers from different cultural and racial backgrounds; both those that explore the impact of our historical challenges and those that allow us to benefit from the fantasy, beauty, love, and joy that storytelling should afford us. I’m so excited for this next chapter!"
How a budding Italian-American author trying to get a literary agent pretended to be a Korean writer called 'Kim Chi' - sparking comparisons to hit thriller Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
dailymail.co.uk – Tuesday June 25, 2024
An Italian-American author who pretended to be a Korean writer called Kim Chi is at the centre of the latest literary scandal - which has sparked comparisons to hit thriller Yellowface, in which a white woman steals an Asian novelist's transcript and passes it off as her own.
Kim Crisci, who misled readers about her heritage, has since apologised for 'deceiving people with false implications' and 'breaking all sense of decency' - before 'removing herself from the writing community'.
The furore was uncovered by fellow author Lanchi Le, who was in a Discord server with Kim - after becoming suspicious following comments she made about Vietnamese culture.
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