Spread the Word launches London Writers Awards 2021
thebookseller.com – Tuesday August 18, 2020
Submissions are now open for Spread the Word's 2021 London Writers Awards, which this year focus on developing authors of literary fiction, commercial fiction, YA/children’s fiction and narrative non-fiction.
The literary charity launched its annual writing development programme to support and "nurture writers from communities currently under-represented and marginalised in UK publishing".
Spread the Word invites applications from London-based writers of colour, working class, LGBTQIA+ and writers with disabilities, with 30 successful applicants to be offered a place on an intensive programme of development taking place over 10 months (January 2021 – October 2021) alongside networking with agents and publishers. The programme is free to participate in and offers bursaries and an access fund. Participants are selected through a free and open application process.
INQUE, a Literary Magazine Forging a New Path in Publishing
anothermag.com – Tuesday August 11, 2020
What could – and indeed, should – a magazine look like in 2020? That was the question British publishing veterans Dan Crowe and Matt Willey asked themselves when their latest collaboration, INQUE – a large-format literary magazine launched last month – was in its nascent stages. As the founders of Avaunt and Port magazines (at the latter, Crowe is editor and publisher) they were all too familiar with the traditional magazine model; the reliance of advertisers to fund the printing and distribution of a magazine, and the way that such partnerships impact the content inside the pages.
Three Indie Presses Make Moves in Nonfiction
publishersweekly.com – Sunday August 9, 2020
Three independent publishing houses best known for their fiction in translation are upping their nonfiction game. For two of those publishers, Transit Books of Oakland, Calif., and Dallas, Tex.–based Deep Vellum Books, the nonfiction programs are almost, if not entirely, new. For Europa Editions, which is less of a stranger to nonfiction but is without any dedicated program, an upcoming series marks something of a new direction.
Europa, headquartered in New York City and Rome, was founded by the owners of the Italian press Edizioni E/O, and while it specializes in the publication of European and other international literary fiction, primarily in translation, it is also known for its international nonfiction and crime fiction. Its new series, the Passenger, is unique for the press.
SFU English department launches creative writing minor
sfu.ca – Saturday August 8, 2020
This September, SFU students can minor in creative writing for the first time. They don’t have to be English majors; they just have to love writing.
“Many students, and not just English students, write—poetry, fiction, screenplays—and want to get better at it,” says professor Clint Burnham, the English department’s graduate chair and member of the creative writing faculty.
The creative writing minor gives students an opportunity to improve their writing because classes go beyond the traditional workshop approach, in which students discuss each other’s work and offer constructive criticism.
Publishers Play the Pandemic Waiting Game
publishersweekly.com – Sunday August 2, 2020
With Labor Day only five weeks away, it has become clear that a substantial number of publishers, both in New York City and elsewhere, will not be returning to their offices in anything resembling full force before 2021. Moreover, organizers of a few industry events set for early next year have already announced they will be moving them from in-person to online. PubWest, for one, announced that its annual conference, originally planned for February 4–6 in Denver, will be virtual.
Those developments follow decisions to hold many fall 2020 publishing events online. All of the fall regional bookselling shows, which some had speculated could mark the return of in-person meetings, have gone virtual. BISG canceled its annual meeting—which had originally been planned for spring but moved to September 11 in New York City—and replaced it with a series of online programs, which began July 28 and will conclude on September 11 with its awards ceremony and a keynote address by Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt. Last week, the Brooklyn Book Festival said it will move its September 28–October 5 fair online. The National Book Awards will also be a virtual event, set for November 18. In the weeks ahead of the awards ceremony, the NBA will hold a series of digital programs, beginning October 20 with its 5 Under 35 event, which recognizes emerging fiction writers.
Q magazine to close
completemusicupdate.com – Tuesday July 21, 2020
Q magazine will close after one final issue, it has been confirmed. Publisher Bauer Media had hoped to find a buyer, but seemingly no deal could be done to rescue the music magazine.
It was one of ten titles put up for review by Bauer in May. Last month it was announced that three of those ten would close, including another younger music title, the magazine spin-off of radio station Planet Rock. But Q was among five magazines that the publisher hoped might be bought by another company, with talks about a possible sale seemingly at an “advanced” stage.
Prior to that announcement the team who produce Q were pretty certain closure was incoming and put together the most recent issue as if it was the last. The prospect of surviving under new ownership allowed them to start working on another edition, but yesterday Editor Ted Kessler confirmed closure was now confirmed, making the upcoming issue the grand finale.
Will The Lockdown Produce More Writing Talent?
businessnewswales.com – Monday July 13, 2020
A new survey of writers has yielded powerful evidence that writers have been more resilient to the impact of lockdown.
Whether or not we see the next big literary success story, we are on track to see a flurry of new books, unlike new film and TV content where productions have stalled.
With book downloads and Kindle sales currently going through the roof, more content and talent discovery is fantastic for avid readers. And many more people have taken up reading since pandemic restrictions locked them into their homes.
Four Former Paradigm Agents Join A3 Artists To Launch Literary Department Led By Andy Patman & Adam Kanter
deadline.com – Tuesday July 7, 2020
A3 Artists Agency has brought in four former Paradigm agents to reestablish a literary division. Veterans Andy Patman and Adam Kanter have come on board as A3 partners and Co-Head of Television Content and Motion Pictures, respectively. They are being joined by fellow former Paradigm agents Katt Riley and Martin To on the lit team, with plans to hire more agents, coordinators and assistants while many talent agencies have been contracting in the face of the coronavirus-related Hollywood production shutdown.
That includes Paradigm, which in late March instituted temporary layoffs for 250 employees. The list included Kanter, Riley and To, sources said, while Patman left Paradigm last week, I hear.
How the literary agent will be affected as post-pandemic publishing tightens its belts
scroll.in – Tuesday June 30, 2020
I run a solo agency practice, Lotus Lane Literary, which I established in 2013. I work from my home-office in New Jersey and employ a part-time intern throughout the year. I do business mostly in the US, the UK, India, and sometimes in other Asian and European countries via book scouts. My roster ranges from debut to well-established writers from all over the world. Lately, I have also started selling film/TV options to production houses in India, UK and the US.
In all these years, my life has been enriched in ways I could not have imagined. The camaraderie with authors and editors is special. It is gratifying to wake up each morning and look forward to reading a new manuscript, or working with an author on an edit, or brainstorming characters and their motivations. My authors often joke that they have graveyards full of characters I have suggested eliminating from their manuscripts. I love being immersed in narrative in any form, as books not only open us up to discovery, wonder and excitement, but also help us make sense of our volatile world.
While the joys of being a literary agent are deeply enmeshed with creativity, it is ultimately a business. In an industry that works at the dichotomous intersection of art and commerce, running a profitable business is always a challenge, especially in times of global pandemics and recessions.
Indie Publishers Cope with Covid
publishersweekly.com – Sunday June 21, 2020
Though many independent publishers interviewed by PW last week reported a drop in sales during the Covid-19 pandemic, several said sales are—surprisingly—up for the year, buoyed by strong interest in backlist titles, direct sales to consumers, and enhanced digital initiatives. Most also said their staffs are working remotely and will continue to do so until at least the end of August. Some are allowing limited staff to go to their offices irregularly to fulfill orders and do necessary administrative tasks.
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