Writerswrite.com's Writer's Blog

Self-Published SF Author Hugh Howey Has Novel Optioned by Ridley Scott, Bought by Random House UK

Mon, 14 May 2012 21:14:00 EST

Self-published science fiction author Hugh C. Howey is having a fantastic spring. He announced on his blog that his book Wool is going to be made into a feature film. Ridley Scott, producer Steve Zaillian and 20th Century Fox have acquired the film rights to the dystopian novel.

But it gets better. Now Random House UK has will publish the book. Howey says, "Check it out: "Wool was picked up by Century, a kick-butt division of Random House, which . . . wait for it . . . also did 50 Shades of Grey. After a 5-way auction that took place during the London Book Fair, Century and Random House came through with the most compelling offer. They addressed every single concern I had with the domestic offers. They appreciate how this was published, how important your involvement has been, and they want to maintain and even emulate those features...."

The hardback will be published in January, 2013. Howey is even more excited about having his book published in hardback by Random House than he is by Ridley Scott wanting to make it into a movie, saying "And while that [the film deal] has a ton of celebrity and glitz, today's announcement is more 'real' and even more thrilling for me. There's a good chance a film won't materialize, and if it does, it would be so many years from now that many of you will have moved on to something else."

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Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to File Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Sat, 12 May 2012 11:00:00 EST

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Inc. will file bankruptcy in the near future, according to The Wall Street Journal. The book publisher will file a pre-packaged bankruptcy plan which has already been agreed to by its major creditors. The company will file, present the plan to the court and exit bankruptcy as soon as possible.

Houghton ended up in dire financial straits because of too much debt from an acquisition and plummeting sales of textbooks as states and municipalities cut spending for schools due to budget cuts. The company says that more than 70% of its senior secured lenders and bondholders have agreed to turn in their debt in exchange for ownership stakes in the company. Houghton will continue operations during the bankruptcy and will pay employees and normal operating debts.

To help with cash flow -- and paying its 3,600 employees-- Houghton has lined up a deal to get $500 million in financing from Citigroup Inc. By converting the debt into equity, the company will save around $250 million a year in interest costs.

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Former PW Editor in Chief Sara Nelson is New Editorial Director of Amazon.com Books

Wed, 9 May 2012 19:15:00 EST

Amazon.com continues to snap up seasoned editing and publishing talent. Former Publishers Weekly editor in chief Sara Nelson has left her current position as Book Editor for O, the Oprah Magazine to become the editorial director of Amazon.com Books.

Amazon told Publishers Weekly that Sara "will be leading our editorial vision for books in the print and Kindle bookstores on Amazon.com." She will redesign the books home page and may start writing a column. She will be based in New York City and will start her new job in June.

Nelson had this to say about her big move: "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to expand the content on Amazon.com and to bring my voice to this Web site visited by millions of passionate readers." It's a big loss for O, but a big gain for Amazon.com.

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Maurice Sendak Dies at 83

Tue, 8 May 2012 09:15:00 EST

The New York Times reports that bestselling children's author Maurice Sendak has died at the age of 83. According to Sendak's editor, Michael di Capua, Sendak died from complications of a recent stroke. Best known for his iconic picture book Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak also wrote In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, The Sign on Rosie's Door, Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or, There Must Be More to Life and The Nutshell Library.

Sendak changed children's literature with his disregard for the conventions of the genre. His small heroes and heroines were often grumpy and challenged the status quo. The books were quite dark for children's books of the time.

Sendak was recently interviewed by Stephen Colbert. In the interview, Sendak said his best known book, Where the WIld Things Are, was not a children's book. Sendak said he has never written a children's book.

Sendak's first picture book in 30 years was issued by HarperCollins last September. Bumble-Ardy was a New York Times bestseller which told the tale of an orphaned pig who throws himself a birthday party. According to the Times obituary, Sendak's longtime partner Eugene Glynn predeceased him in 2007 and he has no surviving family members.

Photo: John Dugdale/HarperCollins Children's Books

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Simon and Schuster Launches Pocket Star Ebook Imprint

Mon, 7 May 2012 14:52:00 EST

Who doesn't have a fondness for the iconic Pocket Books paperback imprint? It was the first American paperback publisher, founded in early 1939. The imprint changed reading habits in America, as people got used to the idea of toting a handy paperback book with them wherever they went. So it is only fitting that a Pocket Books imprint move into the digital world.

Louise Burke, Executive Vice President and Publisher, announced today that Simon and Schuster has launched Pocket Star which will publish only ebooks. Pocket Star will publish bestselling and debut authors in popular genres including women's fiction, romance, thrillers, urban fantasy, and mystery.

Louise Burke said in a statement, "Similar to how mass market has served as a platform to develop future hardcover authors, it is our mission to use Pocket Star's new digital-only format to establish new voices in the marketplace. An ebook imprint is flexible, cost-effective, cutting-edge and makes sense in today's marketplace. Under the Pocket Star banner we will publish original works including full-length novels and novellas from some of our most popular authors."

Pocket Star's Spring and Summer titles include works from authors V.C. Andrews, Nathan Dodge, Cindy Gerard, Laura Griffin, Sabrina Jeffries, Carrie Lofty, and Michael R. Underwood. Titles that launch in ebook form may be selected to be published in print, as well.

Executive editor Lauren McKenna will be the new Editorial Director of Pocket Star and will oversee all content. You can access the Pocket Star eBook Sampler for free here (pdf file): here. Pocket Books will still publish both print and ebook formats for mass market authors.

Image: Pocket Books

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Publishers in China Start Printing Advertisements on Book Covers

Sat, 5 May 2012 21:00:00 EST

China Daily reports that some publishers in China have started printing ads on book covers. The first book to carry an advertisement is My Son, Yo-Yo, a book written by Yo-Yo Ma's mother.

An ad agency named Jinghua Aobo has signed over 100 Chinese publishers with deals to place ads on book covers. So far, the publishers are only allowed to display company logos on the book covers. Ads for individual products or prices are prohibited.

This won't go over well with readers unless the price of books goes down for the books that contain ads. For authors, ads on book covers could mean complicated negotiations with publishers and agents over what percentage of the ad revenues the author would earn.

(via The Guardian)

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Mafia Enforcers Visit Grand Central Publishing in New Book Trailer

Fri, 4 May 2012 17:45:00 EST

Hachette posted an awesome book trailer for The Family Corleone, the prequel to The Godfather which is based on a screenplay by Mario Puzo. Ed Falco adapted the screenplay into a novel. In the trailer Mafia enforcers pay a visit to the offices of Grand Central Publishing to obtain an advance copy of the book as a "personal favor" to their boss. Brian, the hapless editor, does not want to turn over the galleys because the book hasn't even gone to print. He asks the mobsters what happens if he refuses. At that point they begin to laugh.

Grand Central's Mitch Hoffman tweeted: "No editors were harmed in the filming of this video." Well, they did make him an offer he couldn't refuse.

Take a look:

Here is Hachette's synopsis for the book:

"New York, 1933. The city and the nation are in the depths of the Great Depression. The crime families of New York have prospered in this time, but with the coming end of Prohibition, a battle is looming that will determine which organizations will rise and which will face a violent end. For Vito Corleone, nothing is more important that his family's future."

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Walter Mosley Forms Production Company to Make Films of His Books

Thu, 3 May 2012 17:51:00 EST

Walter Mosley has shelves full of bestselling novels and stories, many of which have been made into films. But many have not, so Mosley has has teamed up with producer Diane Houslin to launch a new production company, B.O.B. Filmhouse (Best of Brooklyn Filmhouse). The company will focus on making feature films and movies out of Mosley's more than 39 novels and stories.

Mosley explained the decision in a statement, "In Diane Houslin I've found the perfect partner. Her experience is invaluable and offers a good balance to what I can bring to the conversation. This is a time of such great change in the business -- from how we tell stories to where our readers and audiences find them -- that I am excited to be a part of the whole process."

Mosley met veteran television producer Diane Houslin during her tenure at HBO when Mosley's novel Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned was turned into a movie starring Laurence Fishburne. Houslin has has executive produced and produced numerous television series and documentaries for broadcast and cable, including the award-winning ESPN Films' Through the Fire.

The duo is wasting no time. Mosley is already writing the pilot for The Long Fall for HBO. The potential series is based on Mosley's Leonid McGill novels. Two other projects are in the pipeline with John Wells Productions: Fearless Jones, based on Mosley's comic mystery series and Easy Rawlins, the star of ten of Mosley's bestselling novels.

B.O.B. is also developing a feature film based on Mosley's psychological thriller, Man in My Basement. Anthony Mackie is attached to the project to star. Mosley will co-write the screenplay with Cheo Hodari Coker. No director has been attached to the project yet.

Mosley's newest book is All I Did Was Shoot My Man. (Riverhead Books).

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Harry Potter Inspires Paper That Spells Out Blood Type

Wed, 2 May 2012 21:43:00 EST

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels are the inspiration for a new type of paper that spells out a person's blood type. BBC News reports that researchers from Monash University developed special paper that spells out a person's blood type when a few drops of blood are placed on the paper. The idea behind the paper is to make it easy for blood type to be rapidly determined, without the need for a complicated blood test.

The special paper contains imprinted areas representing the different blood types that are filled with antibodies. When drops of blood are added to the paper, the antibodies react with the antigens in the blood and the red blood cells clump together to make the blood type letter visible. Chemical & Engineering News has details about how exactly the blood test paper works here.

Professor Wei Shen at Monash University was inspired by Tom Riddle's Diary in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to come up with the special paper.

The study can be found here in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

Image: Monash University

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Warner Bros. Releases Classic Film Scripts as Ebooks

Tue, 1 May 2012 18:00:00 EST

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution announced that it will begin selling classic screenplays as ebooks. The new digital initiative will launch with the sale of four iconic screenplays: Casablanca, Ben-Hur, An American in Paris and North by Northwest which can be read on iPads, Kindles and Nooks. Warner is closely watching sales, hoping to monetize archival materials. The ebooks will consist of the actual shooting script and rare historical documents from the Warner Bros. archives. Each ebook will retail for $10.

Each e-book title will retail for $10 and includes the film's actual shooting script and rare historical documents from the Warner Bros. archives. According the release, each Inside the Script title offers dozens of chapters about the script and the film that detail the movie's development; rare historical documents such as production notes, storyboards and candid photos; and an interactive image gallery of costumes, on-set stills, movie posters, set designs and behind-the-scenes photos.

For Casablanca, the ebook includes Jack Warner's telegrams and memos, producer Hal Wallis' script and production notes, Production Code Administration letters, notes and seal of approval and the telegram from producer Hal Wallis refuting his fight with Jack Warner.

For Ben-Hur the ebook includes rare behind-the-scenes materials including makeup and wardrobe tests, production design sketches, sample matte paintings, a forward and captions written by Charlton Heston's son, Fraser C. Heston, excerpts from Charlton Heston's acting and shooting journals during filming and details about the development of Panavision and MGM's proprietary widescreen process (MGM Camera 65).

This is a fabulous resource for film buffs, screenwriters and directors. The ebooks are available at Amazon.com.

Photo: Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

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Ebook Wars: Microsoft and Barnes and Noble Team Up to Take On Amazon.com

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Microsoft and Barnes and Noble execs must have been reading The Art of War lately, because the two companies have decided to stop suing each other over patents and join forces to topple ebook behemoth Amazon.com. Who ever imagined that ebooks would generate so much excitement and drama over the years? First it was Steve Jobs convincing book publishers to go with the agency pricing model in a bid to bring Amazon.com to its knees. Jeff Bezos threatened to drop the publishers' books from Amazon.com if they wouldn't allow him to set the price for ebooks he paid the wholesale price for. Bezos lost that round, but is now winning the war because the Justice Department slapped down Apple and the book publishers for price fixing. Now two warring companies are settling their differences in a bid to take out Amazon.com on another front. No doubt Jeff Bezos is already preparing his tech armies to meet this latest assault in the ebook wars.

According to the release, the two companies will create a new (as yet unamed) Barnes & Noble subsidiary which will "build upon the history of strong innovation in digital reading technologies from both companies." The statement further explains that "the partnership will accelerate the transition to e-reading, which is revolutionizing the way people consume, create, share and enjoy digital content."

Microsoft will invest $300 million in the new company and will receive a 17.6% equity stake. Barnes & Noble will own the other 82.4%. The company will use Microsoft technology to boost performance and sales of the Nook. There will soon be a Nook application for Windows 8, which will allow easy access to Barnes & Noble's digital bookstore. Barnes & Noble's College business is an integral part of the new company which is expected to reach out to students and teachers with its Nook Study software.

Andy Lees, President at Microsoft, had this to say about the deal: "The shift to digital is putting the world's libraries and newsstands in the palm of every person's hand, and is the beginning of a journey that will impact how people read, interact with, and enjoy new forms of content. Our complementary assets will accelerate e-reading innovation across a broad range of Windows devices, enabling people to not just read stories, but to be part of them. We're at the cusp of a revolution in reading."

William Lynch, CEO of Barnes & Noble, said, "Microsoft's investment in Newco, and our exciting collaboration to bring world-class digital reading technologies and content to the Windows platform and its hundreds of millions of users, will allow us to significantly expand the business."

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Stephen King Gets Profane, Political

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 EST

Stephen King is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. He wrote a profanity-filled essay for The Daily Beast entitles, "Tax Me, For F@%&'s Sake!" King vehemently advocates raising taxes on the rich and takes aim at everyone from Mitt Romney to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Christie infamously replied to Warren Buffett's pleas to raise taxes on him and other wealthy citizens thusly: "He [Buffett] should just write a check and shut up. I'm tired of hearing about it. If he wants to give the government more money, he's got the ability to write a check -- go ahead and write it."

King says in reply to Christie: "Tough sh** for you guys, because I'm not tired of talking about it. I've known rich people, and why not, since I'm one of them? The majority would rather douse their d**ks with lighter fluid, strike a match, and dance around singing "Disco Inferno" than pay one more cent in taxes to Uncle Sugar." He says that the millions men like Gates and the Koch brothers give to charity is "All fine as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough."

King warns of a coming revolution if things don't change saying, "If this situation isn't fairly addressed, last year's protests will just be the beginning. Scrooge changed his tune after the ghosts visited him. Marie Antoinette, on the other hand, lost her head."

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Amazon.com and State of Texas Cut a Deal: Amazon Will Pay Sales Taxes Starting in July

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Bricks and mortars bookstores in Texas have something to celebrate. Amazon.com and the State of Texas have settled their differences over sales tax. The Austin-American Stateman reports that Amazon.com will begin charging sales tax to Texas beginning July 1, 2012.

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs and Amazon.com's Paul Misener cut a deal in which Amazon will invest $200 million in infrastructure and bring 2,500 jobs to the state over the next four years. It will build 13 distribution centers in Texas. In exchange, Texas is dropping its claim for $269 million owing in unpaid sales taxes (Amazon.com denies that it owes any back taxes.)

Texas consumers will not be happy that they have to start paying sales tax on everything from books to computers ordered from the online retailer. But state officials are thrilled at the hundreds of millions of dollars in sales taxes that are about to flow into the state's coffers.

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Mel Gibson Explains Dispute with Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas Over Maccabees Script

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST

Mel Gibson was a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Jay asked Mel to explain the brouhaha with screenwriter Joe Eszterhas which led to Eszterhas released a profanity filled tape of Mel Gibson screaming at him during a dinner party. Mel joked that "you may not know this, but I have a bit of a temper." He then said that it was illegal for Eszterhas to tape him in his own home (this happened in Costa Rica, so U.S. laws don't apply). He said that he asked Eszterhas to write the script for The Maccabees, the story of the ancient Jewish warrior Judah Maccabee, and fifteen months later Eszterhas still hadn't turned in a script. He talked about it a lot, but there was no script. So Mel said he yelled at him about it. Mel noted that Randall Wallace came in nine months after Eszterhas was hired (they are making a Viking movie together) and has already turned in four drafts. Mel said Eszterhas finally turned in a script that was so bad that Warner Bros. rejected it. Mel said he apologized, but Eszterhas then made that apology public and said it wasn't good enough. He says Eszterhas was paid in advance for his work. Take a look:

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Amazon Announces 1st Quarter Financials, Digital Products are Top Sellers

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

Amazon.com, Inc. announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2012. The company beat analysts' expectations, although net income decreased 35% to $130 million in the first quarter, or $0.28 per diluted share, compared with net income of $201 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, in first quarter 2011. The company has spent a great deal of money on new projects, such as its publishing arm and its Kindle e-readers. It expects these investments to result in increased profits in the future.

Net sales increased 34% to $13.18 billion in the first quarter, compared with $9.86 billion in first quarter 2011. Sales are being driven by the Kindle and ebooks. Nine out of ten of the top sellers on Amazon.com were digital products, such as the Kindle, Kindle books, movies, music and apps. Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement,

"I'm excited to announce that we now have more than 130,000 new, in-copyright books that are exclusive to the Kindle Store - you won't find them anywhere else. They include many of our top bestsellers - in fact, 16 of our top 100 bestselling titles are exclusive to our store.

Bezos enthused, "If you're an Amazon Prime member, you don't even need to buy these titles - you can borrow them for free - with no due dates - from our revolutionary Kindle Owners' Lending Library. The Kindle Owners' Lending Library is heavily used by Kindle owners, and it has extremely unusual features that both authors and customers love. Every time you borrow a book, the author gets paid - and we have an inexhaustible supply of each title so you never have to wait in a queue for the book you want. Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world by far, and I assure you we'll keep working hard so that the Kindle Store remains yet another reason to buy a Kindle!"

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National Retail Federation Urges Congress to Allow States to Tax Out of State Retailers

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

The National Retail Federation is determined that Congress write legislation that overturns the Supreme Court decision that says that customers don't have to pay sales tax when the order from an out of state retailer that has no nexus to the state where the customer lives.

"As retailing evolves and Internet sales become a more prominent portion of total retail sales, it is critical that Congress address the sales tax collection discrimination that exists between brick-and-mortar and remote retailers," NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. "Brick-and-mortar retailers are major contributors to the health of local communities and should not be placed at a disadvantage compared to remote sellers that have no local presence."

French submitted these comments in a written statement to the Finance Committee which is holding hearings on the impact of federal tax reform. There are three bills pending in Congress that would give states the power to tax out of state sellers. Consumers are opposed to paying sales tax from out of state retailers. Books and mortar stores support the measure to tax out of state sales.

The 1992 Supreme Court case that outlaws states taxing retailers in other states is Quill v. North Dakota. It says that the states can collect sales tax on the out of state retailer if the retailer has a physical presence in the state, such as a store, warehouse or office. The court said otherwise it would impose an unfair burden on retailers who would have to comply with tax laws in 45 states and 7,600 local sales tax systems.

This issue has been in the news the past several years as various states have attempted to collect sales tax from Amazon.com, even when Amazon had no physical presence in the state.

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Neal Stephenson Stars in Book Trailer Which Pokes Fun at Book Trailers

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

Amazon Publishing's 47 North imprint just put out a hilarious -- and clever -- book trailer for the new book, The Mongoliad: Book One. The medieval adventure saga is written by a group of authors, headlined by Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear. The trailer opens with Neal sitting in a chair in front of a giant map. He is supposed to talk about swordfighting as fighters demonstrate the various moves: The Peasant's Strike, The Passing Pommel The Pivoting Sword Strip and The Crown Parry and Half Sword Strip.

The director is extremely unhappy with Neal's line delivery, which he thinks is not strong enough. When Neal dutifully intones, "Ah, the longsword, the raw power," the director just isn't feeling it. Also, Neal keeps missing his dramatic pauses.

The trailer ends with the line: "Some books are so good, a trailer just seems Medieval." It's funny and it makes us want to read the book.

Here is the actual book description from the publisher:

"The Foreworld medieval adventure saga was actually born out of swordfighting. Stephenson and the other authors are avid practitioners of Western martial arts and they are part of an enthusiastic study group in Seattle. Stephenson realized that the descriptions of swordfighting in his novels would have been much better with contributions from people with fighting expertise. Thus the idea for a saga about the complex, bloody history of Western martial arts was born, co-written by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBirmingham, Joseph Brassey, Erik Bear, and Cooper Moo."

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Jackie Collins Explains Her Decision to Self-Publish, Gives Advice to Writers

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Bestselling author Jackie Collins raised some eyebrows when she decided to self-publish a book. Many wondered if she had some falling out with her publishers. Jackie set the record straight in a very interesting blog post. She says she gets along great with her publishers, and her next book will be released with them as usual. But she likes to try new things and keep up with technological advances, so she self-published an updated version of her bestselling novel The Bitch. She explains,

First, I have fantastic relationships with my two publishers, Simon & Schuster UK and St. Martin's Press US. No juicy story about a tiff or spat between us-we're good. I'm currently writing my 29th book The Power Trip, and it will be published by both companies, respectively.

But times are changing, and technology is changing, so I wanted to experiment with this growing trend of self-publishing.

Jackie discusses ebooks and how they are changing the bookselling business. She also has some great advice for writers, including this bit about book promotion:

Publishers are in the publishing business to make money (and that's a good thing). But remember that their goal is NOT to make your dreams of being an author come true. Their goal is to make money through the careful and thoughtful exploitation of your book.

So, you have to fight for what you want. (Even I do.) If you want a full-page ad in People magazine, you have to get it in your contract; otherwise it's not going to happen, and you'll hear things like, "it costs too much."

Jackie tells writers never to give up and to never quite hustling. If you believe your writing is good, then don't let anyone tell you differently. Jackie has sold more than 400 million copies of her books, which have been translated into 40 languages.

Image: Jackie Collins

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Tor, Forge, Orb and Starscape Ebooks to Go DRM Free in July

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 22:14:00 EST

Tom Doherty Associates, the publisher of Tor, Forge, Orb, Starscape and Tor Teen announced today that its ebooks will now be Digital Rights Management (DRM) free. The change will take place by early July, 2012.

Publisher and president Tom Doherty explained the decision: "Our authors and readers have been asking for this for a long time. They're a technically sophisticated bunch, and DRM is a constant annoyance to them. It prevents them from using legitimately-purchased e-books in perfectly legal ways, like moving them from one kind of e-reader to another."

It's a great decision that will no doubt be welcomed by readers.

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U.S. Postal Service Honors Ten Poets With Forever Stamps

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:38:00 EST

The U.S. Postal Service has honored 10 of U.S. poets of the 20th century with 45-cent First-Class Mail Forever stamps. The Twentieth-Century Poets honored by the Postal Service include Elizabeth Bishop, Joseph Brodsky, Gwendolyn Brooks, E.E. Cummings, Robert Hayden, Denise Levertov, Sylvia Plath, Theodore Roethke, Wallace Stevens and William Carlos Williams. Each stamp features a photograph of one of the 10 poets. Text on the back of the stamp sheet includes an excerpt from one poem by each poet. The art director was Derry Noyes.

David Williams, U.S. Postal Service vice president, Network Operations, said in a statement, "Throughout the ages, poetry has been regarded as important and providing unique value, giving us all a better understanding of life. That is why the Postal Service is so proud to be dedicating a new commemorative Forever stamp pane that celebrates 10 of our nation's most admired poets, which include United States Poet Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners and National Book Award winners."

The stamps can be found here on the USPS.com online shop.

Photo: United States Postal Service

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2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Announced

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

The winners of the 2012 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were announced Friday, April 20, 2012, during a public ceremony held in the Bovard Auditorium on the campus of USC. The L.A. Times Book Fair was held on the USC campus near downtown Los Angeles for the first time -- the festival was previously held at UCLA. The winners are:

Biography: Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned by John A. Farrell (Doubleday)
Current Interest: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Fiction: Luminarium by Alex Shakar (SoHo Press)
Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction: Shards by Ismet Prcic (Black Cat/Grove/Atlantic)
Graphic Novel: Finder: Voice by Carla Speed McNeil (Dark Horse)
History: Railroaded: The Transcontinentals and the Making of Modern America by Richard White (W.W. Norton & Company)
Mystery / Thriller: 11/22/1963 by Stephen King (Scribner)
Poetry: Double Shadow: Poems by Carl Phillips (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) (no excerpt available online)
Science & Technology: Grand Pursuit: The Story of Economic Genius by Sylvia Nasar (Simon & Schuster)
Young Adult Literature: The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman (Scholastic Press)
2011 Robert Kirsch Award Winner: Rudolfo Anaya
Innovator's Award: Figment, a digital writing community co-founded by Jacob Lewis and Dana Goodyear

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Nicholas Sparks Talks The Lucky One, Film Adaptations of His Novels

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:41:00 EST

The L.A. Times chatted with bestselling author Nicholas Sparks at the premiere of The Lucky One starring Zac Efron and Taylor Schilling. This is the seventh of his novels to be made into a movie. The others are: Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John, and The Last Song.

Nicholas says he never gets tired of the red carpet, but now he knows what to expect. He says it's always exciting when your getting ready to introduce a film to a new audience. He said he thought the director and cast did a great job adapting the novel, which meant a lot to him. The reporter asks him when he writes if he now thinks about how a scene would play on film. He says he does does keep in mind that it might be adapted into a film, which makes the process it harder. He says the conception is harder, because the idea has to be new for film goers, not just for readers. Once he has the concept down, it's easier. Nicholas also talks about his foundation and the work that it does.

Be warned: The L.A. Times used the nasal cam for this interview -- we kept thinking "step back a pace or two and raise the level of the videocam!" It is tough to get good film on the red carpet while jostling for position with other reporters. Take a look:

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Ebook Price Fixing Nightmare Continues: Apple Facing Three Class Action Suits in Canada

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:43:00 EST

Apple and book publishers' ebook price fixing woes continue to expand. Now Canada is getting into the act. According to the Montreal Gazette there are three class action suits either filed or about to be filed in Canada. The suits are being filed on behalf of readers who were allegedly overcharged for ebooks due to the price fixing arrangement between Apple and the same book publishers being sued by the U.S. Department of Justice. The legal actions are being filed in Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario.

The attorney in the Quebec suit said that ebook prices rose after the institution of the agency model of pricing, so Canadian consumers could be compensated for that rise in price.

The Quebec lawsuit lays out the case: "The anti-competitive nature of this conspiracy, and the Publisher Respondents' motivation to control ebook pricing, is also revealed by the fact that the price of an ebook in many cases now approaches - or even exceeds - the price of the same book in paper even though there are almost no incremental costs to produce each additional ebook unit."

If the lawsuits are successful, Canadians who bought ebooks after April 1, 2010, would be in line to recover damages. Damages could be substantial, as ebook prices in Canada went from $9.99 to $14 or more (Canadian dollars). The attorney told the newspaper, "This is a North American case."

This is just a disaster for Apple and for the book publishers. Apparently, it's the gift that keeps on giving -- for lawyers around the world. Amazon.com has a popular store in Australia that sells ebooks -- will that be the location of the next lawsuit?

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A Tour of Jane Friedman's Fabulously Bookish Manhattan Duplex

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

Jane Friedman has spent her life in book publishing. Starting as a typist at Alfred Knopf, she eventually became the CEO of HarperCollins for 11 years. Now she runs Open Road Integrated Media, a digital publisher and content provider.

Jane gave Lauren Schuker of The Wall Street Journal a tour of her fabulous Manhattan duplex, where her literary parties are legendary. Jane bought a small apartment in the duplex in 1975 for $146,000. As she rose through the ranks, she expanded her home, first with the apartment next door and eventually into the penthouse above her. Now she has a home that's simply devoted to books. From the amazing red lacquer library with more than 10,000 books, to her tree of life room, to her bathroom covered in bookish wallpaper, this is clearly a home of a devoted bibliophile. Her home office features a red lacquer desk to match the red lacquer library and Chinese scrolls. Jane says, "As my career grew, so did my apartment." Take a look:

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Apple Offers to Settle With EU Over Price Fixing Allegations, Asks for Trial on U.S. Claims

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

The Telegraph reports that Apple has offered to settle the ebook price fixing case with the European Union. Joaquin Almunia, the European Union competition commissioner, told The Telegraph that he has received settlement offers from Apple and all the book publishers, except for Penguin. The terms of the settlement offers were not disclosed.

Although it wants to settle the European case, Apple told a federal court judge today that it does not want to settle the lawsuit against it filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. CBS News reports that one of Apple's many attorneys told U.S. District Judge Denise Cote that it denies the claims against it, and wishes the case to go to trial.

This was merely a preliminary hearing. All this really means is that Apple isn't going to settle now under the terms the government has offered. Federal judges push for early settlement of business cases. By saying it wants a trial, Apple is allowing the judge to start setting discovery deadlines. Apple is also being sued by a number of states attorneys general for the same ebook price fixing allegations.

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Holly Black and Cassandra Clare Write Five Book Fantasy Series for Scholastic

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

Bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare have signed a five book deal with Scholastic. The two authors will collaborate on a five book middle grade fantasy series. This is the first full-length collaboration between the authors. The first book in the series is called The Iron Trial and will hit bookstores in 2014.

"This project is the culmination of years of work and brainstorming with Holly," said Cassandra Clare in a statement. "She's someone I've always wanted to write with, and I can't express how proud we are of the story we've created, or how excited we are to work with Scholastic and David. And we can't wait for people to read it, of course!"

Holly Black had this to say about the project: "We're so excited to be working on this series with David Levithan and everyone at Scholastic. From the moment it crossed his desk, he totally got it. He's been the perfect reader for the books and we know he's going to be the perfect editor too."

The series tell the story of twelve-year-old Callum Hunt who has grown up knowing three rules by heart. Never trust a magician. Never pass a test a magician gives you. And never let a magician take you to the Magisterium. Naturally, Callum is about to break all those rules. It sounds like great fun -- we can't wait to read the first book in the series.

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Joe Eszterhas Releases Audio Tapes of Mel Gibson's Profanity-Laced Rant

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

In response to Mel Gibson's denial of allegations that he exhibited deranged behavior and made more racial and ethnic slurs while working on The Maccabees film, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas has released audio recordings of the evening in question in Costa Rica. The Wrap has the audio and transript that Eszterhas' son recorded because he was frightened of what might happen. The tape reveals Mel Gibson in a violent rage, screaming and throwing furniture of some kind. This was in front of a dining room full of horrified guests.

Eszterhas told TheWrap: "The bottom line is it shows to me he badly needs help. My interest isn't to damage him with this tape but to prevent damage being done to others, starting with Jews, including Oksana and now, I'm sure, me. I strongly believe that unless he seeks and receives some kind of psychiatric help, someone is going to get hurt."

You can listen to the very disturbing audio and read the transcript (both of which are filled with profanity) Eszterhas added that his son Nick "was adamant I release this tape. He said, 'I know how frightened we all were. No one has the right to treat another human being that way. This tape shows him the way he really is.'"here.

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The Real Reason No Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Was Awarded This Year

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:40:00 EST

In an interview with The Daily Beast Pulitzer Fiction Prize jury member Maureen Corrigan, NPR book critic and critic in residence at Georgetown University, reveals the real reason why no Pulitzer for fiction was awarded this year.

Most commentators assumed that the three person jury didn't think any of the three shortlisted books deserved the win. But the three person jury selected the three shortlisted books that they felt were worthy of the win, and passed them on to the Pulitzer Board, which has only one novelist sitting on it (most of the board is comprised of journalists). The full 18 member Board voted, but no book got a majority. So no prize was awarded, which is ridiculous.

The three jurors are furious that there is no fiction winner, and alarmed that everyone is blaming them for the mishap. In addition to Corrigan, this year's jurors included Susan Larson, the former books editor of The Times-Picayune, and Michael Cunningham, author of the Pulitzer prize-winning novel The Hours. The three of them put in the time and took their judging job very seriously, reading 300 novels each over the course of six months.

This ludicrous turn of events infuriates Corrigan who said, "Honestly, I feel angry on behalf of three great American novels...The obvious answer is to let the [jury] pick. We're the people who have gone through the 300 novels. All the board is asked to do is to read three top novels that we've given to them...In fact, what's happened today is a lot of the articles and blog posts have gotten it wrong--they've been blaming the three of us!"

A Pulitzer spokesman admitted there was a "problem," but wouldn't say much more (the board's actions apparently are shrouded in secrecy). Michael Cunningham criticized the way the Pulitzer Board votes on the fiction winner and its arcane voting rules saying, "I think there's something amiss in a system where three books this good are presented and there's not a prize. So, yeah, they might want to look into that."

We think the Pulitzer Board should listen to Maureen Corrigan and let the jury select the fiction winner. That makes the most sense. Or at least change the voting rules so that the book with the most votes wins.

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Novelist William Boyd to Write Next James Bond Novel

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST

HarperCollins announced that award-winning novelist William Boyd will write the next James Bond novel. Boyd is the bestselling author of Restless, Any Human Heart and the just-released Waiting for Sunrise. Boyd is the winner of the Whitbread Literary Award and the Somerset Maugham Award, and has been shortlisted for Booker prize. Boyd will set the new Bond novel in in 1969, which ought to be interesting.

The book will be released in the fall of 2013 and does not yet have a title. The Ian Fleming estate has varied its selection of authors to continue the Bond franchise. Jeffery Deaver wrote Carte Blanche in 2011, and Sebastian Faulks wrote Devil May Care in 2008.

Boyd issued a statement about his new project:

"When the Ian Fleming estate invited me to write the new James Bond novel I didn't hesitate. I accepted at once - for me the prospect appeared incredibly exciting and stimulating - a once-in-a-lifetime challenge. In fact my father introduced me to the James Bond novels in the 1960s and I read them all then - From Russia with Love being my favourite."

"I then became very intrigued by Ian Fleming the man and have written about him on numerous occasions. The fascination went so far that I placed him as a character in my novel Any Human Heart where he's responsible for recruiting the novel's protagonist, Logan Mountstuart, into the Naval Intelligence Division in World War II."

"One other coincidence should be mentioned. It turns out that I've worked with three of the actors who have played James Bond over the years. They've all starred in films that I've written: Sean Connery in A Good Man in Africa, Pierce Brosnan in Mr. Johnson and Daniel Craig in The Trench. The idea that these somewhat random connections with Fleming and Bond should culminate in my writing a new James Bond novel is irresistibly appealing. The only thing I'm prepared to say at this stage about the novel that I will write is that it will be set in 1969."

You can read more about William Boyd at his website.

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Davian Aw Wins 2012 Lyttle Lytton Contest

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST

The winner of the 2012 Lyttle Lytton Contest for bad writing has been announced. The winner is is Davian Aw who wrote: "Agent Jeffrey's trained eyes rolled carefully around the room, taking in the sights and sounds."

The founder of the contest, Adam Cadre, explains why this entry won: "When I read the first half of this, I thought, yes, I've heard editors grumbling about the use of "eyes" for "gaze": "'Her eyes landed on his lapel pin' - didn't that hurt?" Then I reached the "and sounds" part and knew this one would be tough to beat. There were entries at which I laughed more, but the combination of craft, plausibility, and cringe factor - and, yes, laughs - put this one on top."

Here are some of the honorable mentions:

"Bang! As the bullet hit her ear, she felt an excruciating pain, as if her ear were screaming into itself." --Tanner Swett

"She had the kind of face that made you want to say hey, look at your face." --Clara Weinstein

"Sheila woke up instantly; it was that dream again - the one with the face, and the man, with the face." --Sean Jorgensen

And our favorite: "'I'm a winner,' thought Seabiscuit, galloping across the finish line." --K.M. Lewis

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Pulitzer Judges Refuse to Award Prize for Fiction

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST

Talk about your snubs. The 2012 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced today, but no one is talking about the winners. All anyone is talking about is the fact that the judges refused to award a prize for Fiction. This is the first time that's happened since 1977.

Judges Susan Larson, Maureen Corrigan, and Michael Cunningham sat on the fiction jury and apparently were unimpressed with the three finalists: Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (Knopf), and The Pale King by David Foster Wallace (Little, Brown).

So who actually managed to win a Pulitzer Prize this year? The winners included:

History: Malcolm X: A Life in Reinvention by Manning Marable (Viking)
Biography: George F. Kennan: An American Life by John Lewis Gaddis (The Penguin Press)
Poetry: Life on Mars by Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press)
General Nonfiction: The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt (W.W. Norton)

You can see the full list of winners here.

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Joss Whedon Talks Screenwriting on The Avengers Red Carpet

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:50:00 EST

Joss Whedon walked the red carpet at the L.A. premiere of The Avengers. Whedon gave credit to the hugeness of The Avengers to Marvel. He said, "This is really all Marvel. I just sort of slipped on board like a stowaway."

The humble Whedon deserves a lot of the credit for building the huge buzz for the film. Whedon is the writer and director of The Avengers and he brings a lot of anticipation for the film because of his previous work on shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly>

Whedon claims that the scheduler had a much harder job than he did. Whedon said, "I had to figure out to make them all shine in the movie, how to make the structure work, how to make it mean something, how to make them interact, but I didn't have to schedule. That was insane."

Whedon says, "I was writing the movie while I was filming all of it."

Whedon says it took many iterations over two years to get the script right, but there was still tweaking to be done during the actual filming. He says, "I had all the building blocks by the time we started filming, but there were still some scenes that needed work. Sometimes I'd film all day and write at night and sometimes I'd film all night and write during the day."

When asked about how he found time for sleep, Whedon said, "What is sleep?"

Whedon was also asked who was the most impressive out of the cast in terms of action and fight scenes. He says they all stood out, but he praised Jeremy Renner. Whedon says, "Jeremy Renner has a way, even the way he stands, when he is being Hawkeye is so heroic that it's kind of startling. You expect from Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans and even Scarlett, but Renner he's very internal and then suddenly he has this pose and 'Oh my gosh, You're a hero."

Take a look:

Photo: Zade Rosenthal/MVLFFLLC/Marvel

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Writers Write Joins Pinterest

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:00:00 EST

Writers Write has joined Pinterest. Pinterest is a new social networks that lets users create virtual pinboards. Users can then pin articles, blog posts and interesting things they find online to their pinboards using a graphic or photograph. You can find Writers Write on Pinterest here.

You can also find Writers Write on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter.

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Little, Brown Announces Title, Description and Release Date for J.K. Rowling's Next Novel

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST

Little, Brown has announced the title and release date of J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. The novel is called The Casual Vacancy and will be published worldwide in the English language in hardback, ebook, unabridged audio download and on CD on Thursday, September 27, 2012.

Little, Brown describes the book as follows: "When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults."

From the description, we're hearing a bit of Tom Wolfe and a bit of Mark Twain, possibly with an Agatha Christie or even a Stephen King twist. But that's probably just us getting carried away with the exciting mention of "Pagford is not what it first seems." That just screams Stephen King to us, but -- alas -- we doubt there will be a supernatural element to the book. The Casual Vacancy is available for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Photo: Andrew Montgomery/ (C) Wall to Wall Media Ltd.

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Justice Department Files Suit Against Apple, Publishers Over Ebook Price Fixing

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:25:00 EST

As expected, the Department of Justice has filed suit against Apple, Simon and Schuster, Hachette, HarperCollins, MacMillan and Penguin for violations of antitrust laws in connection with ebook pricing. HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster and Hachette have settled with the government, so the lawsuit will not proceed against them. However, Apple, MacMillan and Penguin refused to sign, so the legal battle continues for them.

According to The Wall Street Journal, under the settlement the three publishers will terminate their agreements with Apple regarding ebooks and must stop telling retailers what price they can set for ebooks. That means the three publishers can no longer tell Amazon.com what price it must charge for ebooks for two years. Retailers can stagger termination dates of contracts so they are not negotiating with all the book publishers at the same time. The Justice Department said that was necessary to stop "a return to the collusively established previous outcome." The publishers are allowed to stop Amazon.com from selling its entire catalog at a loss, but if Amazon sells bestsellers at a loss and makes up for it on other books, then the publishers can't stop Amazon from discounting all their titles. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the publishers "will also be prohibited from conspiring or sharing competitively sensitive information with their competitors for five years."

The lawsuit dramatically describes the secret meetings between Jobs and book publishing CEOs where they cooked up a deal to raise prices on ebooks and details the conspiracy to keep it a secret, complete with double deleted emails. It's pretty brutal stuff. The government quotes Steve Jobs, who Walter Isaacson has on tape explaining how he pitched the deal to the publishers:, "We'll go to [an] agency model, where you set the price, and we get our 30%, and yes, the customer pays a little more, but that's what you want anyway." The lawsuit notes that no attorneys were present at the numerous secret meetings to fix prices, which were held at luxury restaurants in New York and Europe. Of course any attorney at such a meeting would have immediately hustled his client out of the room tout de suite muttering dire imprecations about price fixing, collusion and potential lawsuits (which all happened). The government then describes the publishers' actions like some kind of Cold War Communist plot: after the infamous meeting they "regularly communicated" to "exchange sensitive information and assurances of solidarity."

We have to wonder: what were the CEOs thinking when they agreed to such a thing? Were they just so enamored of Steve Jobs that they ignored the fact that price fixing is illegal under U.S. law? This is pretty basic antitrust law, and they seemed to know enough not to allow their attorneys to be present at the meeting. The publishers who settled admitted no wrongdoing and in fact are pretty defiant about the whole thing. HarperCollins issued a press release saying it only settled to avoid a protracted lawsuit, didn't do anything wrong and then listed all the amazing benefits of the agency model that the government just ripped apart.

So, what does it all mean? Cheaper ebooks on Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins and Hachette titles, for one. The publishers must somehow compensate consumers for overpaying on ebooks (we have no idea how that's going to work). Apple will continue to rack up attorneys fees in a case it has no hope of winning. And more lawsuits loom. The EU and 16 U.S state attorneys general are also ready to file suit over price fixing.

Jeff Bezos must be cartwheeling down the halls of Amazon.com with joy. The company issued a mild statement about how the settlement is a victory for consumers and that it looks forward to lowering prices on ebooks soon.

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Herman Wouk Inks New Book Deal With Simon and Schuster at 96

Mon, 9 Apr 2012 14:00:00 EST

Now this is impressive. American novelist Herman Wouk just inked another book deal at the age of 96. Jonathan Karp acquired the world rights to Wouk's next book, The Lawgiver, which is a novel about Moses. Mr. Wouk is best known as the author of The Caine Mutiny (1951), Marjorie Morningstar (1955), Youngblood Hawke (1961), Don't Stop the Carnival (1965), The Winds of War (1971), War and Remembrance (1978), The Hope (1993), The Glory (1994), and A Hole in Texas (2004).

The book is in the epistolary style and follows a group of people making a movie about Moses in the present day. Through letters, memos, emails, journals, news articles, recorded talk, tweets, Skype transcripts, and text messages, the story emerges. In a statement, Karp explains why he snapped up the book saying, "I loved reading The Lawgiver. Within just a few pages I was captivated, once again in the thrall of Wouk's sharply conceived characters, amusing narration, irresistible command of story, and the wisdom of a lifetime. I found myself marveling at the verve and wit of this great American storyteller, now 96. The insights into Moses have remarkable vitality and depth. His heroine, Margo ('Mashie') is a twenty-first century incarnation of one of my favorite literary characters of all time, Marjorie Morningstar."

Wouk expressed his happiness at returning to the fold at Simon and Schuster saying, "I knew Dick Simon and Max Schuster well. Few of my contemporaries can make that statement! They brought out my first novel, Aurora Dawn, in 1947, and returning to their imprint after 64 years is an uncommon pleasure."

Wouk has a shelf full of awards, from the 1952 Pulitzer Prize in fiction for The Caine Mutiny, to the first Library of Congress Fiction Award, which is now known as the Herman Wouk Award for Lifetime Achievement In the Writing of Fiction. Last year, Stephen King wrote a short story for The Atlantic called "Herman Wouk Is Still Alive."

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2012 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners Announced

Sat, 7 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

The winners of the 2012 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud awards have been announced by the American Booksellers Association. Owners and staff at independent booksellers nationwide vote for the annual awards.

2012 Indies Choice Book Award Winners

Adult Fiction Book of the Year: The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year: Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton (Random House)
Adult Debut Book of the Year: The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (Random House)
Young Adult Book of the Year: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Philomel)

E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners

Middle Reader (tie): The Apothecary by Maile Meloy, Ian Schoenherr (Illus.) (Putnam Juvenile) and Wildwood by Colin Meloy, Carson Ellis (Illus.) (Balzer + Bray)
Picture Book: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen (Candlewick Press)

You can find a list of the honor award recipients here.

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Henri Cole Wins 2012 Jackson Poetry Prize

Fri, 6 Apr 2012 15:44:00 EST

Poets & Writers, Inc. has announced that Henri Cole is the 2012 winner of the Jackson Poetry Prize. The $50,000 prize is given annually to honor an American poet of exceptional talent who deserves wider recognition. Poets Louise Gluck, Marilyn Hacker, and James Tate were the judges. Poets were nominated by a panel of their peers who remain anonymous.

The judges' gave Cole the following citation:

Henri Cole has the voluptuary's fastidious preoccupation with sensation - rather, say, an almost Japanese vocation for connoisseurship. But what is most striking in this work is its composure. Cole's poems do not strain for attention; for all their casual, anecdotal worldliness and natural diction, they project an eerie gravity. The poems' shimmering, enigmatic tranquility coexists with intense feeling: they are clear without being stodgy, striking in their poise and delicacy and formal beauty without seeming, ever, mere exquisite diversions. He is an artist of the greatest gifts."

Henri Cole has published eight collections of poetry, including Touch (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2011), and Middle Earth (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2004), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. He currently teaches at Ohio State University and is poetry editor of The New Republic.

Photo: Poets & Writers, Inc.

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Apple Refusing to Settle Ebook Price Fixing Case With Justice Department

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 18:33:00 EST

The Wall Street Journal reports that settlement talks between the U.S. government, Apple and U.S. book publishers over price fixing claims on ebooks aren't going so well.

The Justice Department has warned Apple and the major publishers that if they don't change their ways they are all getting sued for price fixing. Both the U.S. and the European Union have told the parties that when they sat down with Steve Jobs to agree on higher prices for ebooks by forcing Amazon.com to use the new agency model instead of the old wholesale model of book sales, they were violating antitrust laws which prohibit price fixing.

The WSJ says that CBS Corp.'s Simon & Schuster Inc., HarperCollins Publishers Inc. and Lagardere SCA's Hachette Book Group have all seen the light and are ready to settle to avoid a major antitrust prosecution. But Apple, Penguin Group (USA) and Macmillan (which is owned by Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck GmbH) are dragging their heels and don't want to settle.

Apple reportedly wants the Justice Department to allow publishers to keep the agency model in which they can set the price of the book, and force Amazon.com not to discount the titles. The Justice Department isn't buying it, according to the WSJ's sources. Those sources say the Justice Department says the only way publishers got Amazon to accept the agency model was by using an illegal conspiracy between rivals.

Negotiations are ongoing, and none of the parties will comment on the record. But this is a textbook case of price fixing. The official Steve Jobs biography candidly lays out how the agreement between the publishers and Apple went down -- in Jobs' own words. Apple is mostly likely going to have to cave in or face a major, unpleasant prosecution for violation of antitrust laws.

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Amazon.com Reports Sales Figures For Authors in the Lending Library Program

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST

Amazon.com, Inc. announced some interesting figures relating to its ebook lending library. Amazon says that in March, each time Kindle owners borrowed a KDP Select book from the lending library, the author received $2.18. Amazon sales that the borrowing led to significant increases in income for independently-published authors. Author Martin Crosbie wrote My Temporary Life. After enrolling the book in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library in February, he earned over $45,000 in one month from paid sales and loans combined. Before he was enrolled in the lending library he only made $100 over two months. Crosbie said in a statement, "Because of Amazon, and KDP Select in particular, I can now call myself an author - before my experience with this program that was only a dream. Through KDP Select, I have been able to get my work to thousands and thousands of readers quickly and effectively. My experience with KDP Select is truly life-changing." He sounds pretty happy, as well he should with sales like that.

Amazon is loudly trumpeting indie authors' success. Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content, said, "Stories like Martin's are becoming increasingly common and a great benefit of the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. KDP authors get a new way to reach more readers and customers discover great books. Every time a customer borrowed an independently-published book in March, the author earned $2.18. That's more than many authors earn when their books are sold."

Amazon says that its data shows that authors whose books are available in the lending library show significant sales of their other works. For example, Amazon cites the case of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy: 24% of customers who borrowed The Hunger Games bought Catching Fire and 24% bought Mockingjay, -- even though the entire series is available to borrow for free in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. Clearly, readers didn't want to wait another month to find out what happens to Peeta, Katniss and Gale in books 2 and 3.

Amazon is very smart. It's just so easy to click on the buy button to get the next book. We'll be very interested to see if these sales numbers continue over time.

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Fairchild Fashion Media Sells Fairchild Books to Bloomsbury

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 17:04:00 EST

Bloomsbury Publishing announced that it has acquired Fairchild Books. Fairchild is a publisher of textbooks and educational resources for students of fashion, merchandising, retailing and interior design. Fairchild, which is based in New York, has a long and storied history that dates back to the nineteenth century. Bloomsbury says that Fairchild's list meshes well with Bloomsbury's line of academic texts in the Visual Arts. Bloomsbury previously acquired Berg Publishers in 2008, which included its extensive fashion photography archive.

Bloomsbury intends to expand its reach in the fashion and design arts niche. It will publish both textbooks and works for professionals. It intends to aggressively pursue digital ventures, as well. Fairchild Books will be run by Kathryn Earle, who will report to Bloomsbury's Academic & Professional division. Jonathan Glasspool will serve as Managing Director.

Nigel Newton, Chief Executive of Bloomsbury, said in a statement: "The acquisition of Fairchild Books is part of Bloomsbury's long term strategy to increase its Academic Publishing turnover in the USA, the largest market for English language textbooks. There is a perfect alignment between Fairchild's list and Bloomsbury's visual arts lists.

Gina Sanders, the President and CEO of Fairchild Fashion Media, had this to say about the acquisition: "We are delighted that Fairchild Books has found such a fitting strategic partner in Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., a leading international academic publisher. At the same time, this sale will enable Fairchild Fashion Media to further expand upon our core businesses, including WWD/WWD.com, Style.com, Style.com/Print, FN, Beauty Inc, Menswear, Fairchild Summits, WWD Magic and FN Platform."

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Trailer for William Joyce's Rise of the Guardians Starring Voices of Alec Baldwin, Chris Pine and Isla Fisher

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Dreamworks Animation has released the trailer for the film adaptation of William Joyce's book The Guardians of Childhood, which is due out on November 21, 2012. Joyce co-wrote the screenplay and who co-directed the film, so we're assuming it's true to his vision.

Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Easter Bunny or E. Aster Bunnymund (Hugh Jackman), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and the Sandman are protectors of children against evil. Santa is called North and he's got a Russian accent and quite a few tattoos. They band together to fight the nightmare king, Pitch (Jude Law.) Chris Pine voiced the character of Jack Frost character, who is not in the trailer. Take a look:

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Scholastic Announces Sales Figures for The Hunger Games Trilogy in the U.S.

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:44:00 EST

Scholastic announced today the amazing in-print figures for Suzanne Collins' bestselling The Hunger Games trilogy. The series has been on the New York Times bestseller list for three years in a row and with the release of the feature film starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen the books have seen another spike in sales.

As of today, Scholastic has more than 36.5 million copies of the original three books in The Hunger Games trilogy in print in the U.S. That includes more than 17.5 million copies of The Hunger Games; more than 10 million copies of Catching Fire; and more than 9 million copies of Mockingjay.

Ellie Berger, President, Scholastic Trade Publishing said in a statement, "Suzanne Collins has created a vivid and compelling future world that has captivated both teen and adult readers and is sure to become a classic. We are proud to be her publisher and we join readers everywhere in celebrating her amazing talent."

Photo: Scholastic

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Lorax Statue Stolen From Home of Dr. Seuss

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST

A 200-pound bronze Lorax statue was stolen the home of Dr. Seuss. Theodor Geisel's widow still lives on the estate. The Lorax statue is one of two Lorax statues made by Dr. Seuss's stepdaughter. The other Lorax statue is in a museum.

Reuters reports that the statue was reported missing on Monday morning. Police do not know if the theft has to do with the recent film release, or if someone thought the metal the statue is made from might be worth something melted down. We hope the police can find the missing Lorax. ABC News reports:

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Juan Felipe Herrera Appointed California Poet Laureate

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:44:00 EST

Juan Felipe Herrera has been appointed California Poet Laureate by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. Herrera is the author of twenty-eight books and currently serves as the Tomas Rivera Endowed Chair in the Department of Creative Writing at the University of California, Riverside.

The son of migrant workers from Mexico, Mr. Herrera earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, a Master of Arts in Social Anthropology from Stanford University and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Iowa. He was elected to the Board of Chancellors for the Academy of American Poets in 2011 and he was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry in 2010. Herrera's collection, Half of the World in Light, won the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry in 2009.

Photo: Office of the Governor of California

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Previously Unpublished Kurt Vonnegut Novella Published as Kindle Single

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST

A previously unpublished 20,000-word novella by Kurt Vonnegut has been published as a Kindle single by RosettaBooks. The novella, Basic Training, was written to be sold under the pseudonym Mark Harvey.

RosettaBooks says the novella appears to have been written in the 1940s. Vonnegut used pseudonyms during this period in his life when he was working in public relations for General Electric to avoid moonlighting accusations. He was trying to get his stories published in magazines like The Saturday Evening Post, which rejected Basic Training in the last 1940s.

Here is a descrption of Basic Training from the publisher:

Basic Training is a bitter, profoundly disenchanted story that satirizes the military, authoritarianism, gender relationships, parenthood and most of the assumed mid-century myths of the family. Haley Brandon, the adolescent protagonist, comes to the farm of his relative, the old crazy who insists upon being called The General, to learn to be a straight-shooting American. Haley's only means of survival will lead him to unflagging defiance of the General's deranged (but oh so American, oh so military) values. This story and its thirtyish author were no friends of the milieu to which the slick magazines' advertisers were pitching their products.

Photo: RosettaBooks

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Steven Millhauser Wins The Story Prize

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 13:11:00 EST

Steven Millhauser is the winner of The Story Prize for books published in 2011. Millhauser won for his collection, We Others: New & Selected Stories, which includes seven new stories and fourteen stories from previous collections. Millhauser received a cash prize of $20,000.

The runners up were Don DeLillo, for his first short story collection, The Angel Esmeralda, and Edith Pearlman for Binocular Vision. They each received $5,000.

The Story Prize is an annual award given to a book of short stories published in English in the United States. Each year there is a winner and two runners up.

Photo: Knopf

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Marysue Rucci Named Editor-in-Chief of Simon & Schuster

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:15:00 EST

Marysue Rucci has been named vice president and editor-in-chief of the Simon & Schuster adult trade imprint. Her appointment is effective April 2. Ms. Rucci comes to Simon & Schuster from Putnam, where since January 2010 she has served as vice president and editorial director. Prior to that, she worked at Simon & Schuster for 13 years.

Simon & Schuster's publisher Jonathan Karp says, "Marysue will be the leader and architect of Simon & Schuster's fiction list. She will supervise all our fiction acquisitions, build her own list of authors - both novelists and nonfiction writers - and provide counsel to our editors. Under her guidance we expect to be an industry leader, publishing novels of the highest quality and the greatest appeal. We are all delighted that Marysue is returning to Simon & Schuster and that she will now have a greater role in the management of the imprint."

Ms. Rucci is best known for acquiring Little Bee by Chris Cleave, which spent more than a year on The New York Times bestseller list and has sold over a million copies. Some of her other acquisitions include The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney, Oxygen by Carol Cassella and The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper.

Marysue Rucci can be found on Twitter at @marysue_rucci.

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Carole King to be Named BMI Icon at 60th Annual BMI Pop Music Awards

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST

Singer/songwriter Carole King will be celebrated as a BMI Icon at the 60th annual BMI Pop Awards. The awards will be held on Tuesday, May 15 at Los Angeles' Beverly Wilshire Hotel. She will join a list of BMI Icons that includes John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, James Brown and Dolly Parton.

More than 400 of Carole King's compositions have been recorded by more than 1,000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles. She has won 31 BMI songwriting awards and is a member of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She has made 25 solo albums. She wrote some of her early songs with writing partner and then-husband Gerry Goffin, Some of her hits include, "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, "Loco-Motion," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, "I Feel the Earth Move" and "You've Got a Friend."

Carole King has written a memoir, A Natural Woman, the will be released on April 10, 2012.

Photo: BMI/Business Wire

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Feds Intercept $70,000 Worth of Marijuana Mailed to Fictitious Editor at St. Martin's Press

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:40:00 EST

The Smoking Gun reports that the feds seized $70,000 of marijuana that was in two Express Mail packages bound for St. Martin's Press in New York City. The pot was found by drug-sniffing dogs after workers at the San Diego post office noticed a distinct odor coming from the packages.

After a warrant was obtained, the packages were opened and the drugs were discovered wrapped in dryer sheets, Styrofoam chunks and paper towels which reportedly are used by drug traffickers to mask the smell. We would have thought that ground coffee or rosemary would work better than dryer sheets, but what do we know? It does sound like the packages were sent by an amateur.

The packages were addressed to "Karen Wright" at St. Martin's Press, which has sent the publishing world on a hunt to find the mysterious, cannabis-loving editor. St. Martin's says no one of that name works at the company. Perhaps it was bound for someone in the mail room whose job was to grab any packages addressed to Ms. Wright. Or, perhaps it's a pseudonym known only to a select few in the literary world? In any event, there will be no cannabis at St. Martin's today.

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Guus Kuijer Wins Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST

Guus Kuijer has won the 2012 Astrid Lindgren award. Kuijer has published over 30 children's books since he made his debut as a children's author in 1975. Most of his titles are aimed at young readers about to enter their teenage years. Some of his key works include The Book of Everything (2004), Florian Knol (2006) and Together Forever, Amen (1999). His books have been translated into more than 10 languages.

The jurors issued the following statement about Kuijer's books: "With an unprejudiced gaze and a sharp intellect, Guus Kuijer portrays both the problems facing contemporary society and life's big questions. Respect for children is as self-evident in his works as his rejection of intolerance and oppression. Kuijer combines serious subject matter and razor-sharp realism with warmth, subtle humour and visionary flights of fancy. His simple, clear and precise style accommodates both deep philosophical insight and graceful poetic expression."

The annual Astrid Lindgren award carries a cash prize of 5 million Swedish kronor (about $742,000). The award was named after Astrid Lindgren, author of the Pippi Longstocking books.

Photo: Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

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Random House Children's Books Expands Publishing Deal With Nickelodeon

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:25:00 EST

Random House Children's Books announced today that it will now be the primary book publisher of Nickelodeon properties. The new publishing program will expand next spring with new formats for the line, including hardcover and paperback picture books, storybooks, leveled readers, chapter books, Junior Novels, and board books. Random House has published the activity books, coloring books and the Little Golden Book titles for many years, and those programs will continue to feature Nickelodeon characters such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Bubble Guppies.

Chip Gibson, President and Publisher of Random House Children's Books, had this to say about the new deal: "Random House Children's Books has had a long and fruitful relationship with Nickelodeon. We are delighted to broaden our publishing partnership with them. Paula K. Allen, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Global Publishing, had a bit more to say about the deal: "The continued success of SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Bubble Guppies has given us tremendous opportunity to develop engaging reading experiences and extend the storytelling and educational curriculum featured in our programming. We are also looking forward to the addition of a publishing program for exciting new properties like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Winx Club."

Photo: Random House

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Val Kilmer to Play Mark Twain in One Man Citizen Twain Play

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:50:00 EST

Playbill reports that Val Kilmer will play Mark Twain in a one man play, Citizen Twain. The play will run for two weekends at the Masonic Lodge at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Kilmer will provide a question-and-answer session after the performance. Details and ticket information for the play can be found here.

Val Kilmer does have experience performing as Mark Twain. Kilmer performed excerpts from Mark Twain's famous 70th birthday speech for the The Mark Twain House & Museum's 2010 Gala. Take a look:

Val Kilmer is also working on a Mark Twain movie called Mark Twain and Mary Baker Eddy. Kilmer wrote the screenplay for the film and he is trying to get it produced.

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Vintage Books Acquires License to Publish Ian Fleming's Bond Backlist in Ebook Form

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

The Random House Group and Ian Fleming Publications Ltd announced that Vintage Publishing, a division of Random House, has acquired a ten-year license for Ian Fleming's entire James Bond backlist in print and ebook format, along with Fleming's two nonfiction titles. Vintage Books is the sister imprint of Jonathan Cape, the original publisher of Ian Fleming's Bond fiction.

Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, said in a statement, "We are delighted to be reuniting James Bond with his original publisher. This new deal, incorporating both print and ebook formats, represents a significant step-change for Ian Fleming and his work."

The deal between Vintage and Ian Fleming Publications does not include the rights to publish the Bond books in the U.S. and Canada. Paid Content reports that a search is underway for a publisher to publish Ian Fleming's Bond titles in ebook form in the U.S.

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Teaser Trailer for HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn Starring Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EST

HBO went all out for its upcoming movie, Hemingway & Gellhorn. Just about everyone involved has either won an Oscar, been nominated for an Oscar or has picked up a few Golden Globes or Emmys -- including the producers, the editor Walter Murch (The English Patient, Apocalypse Now), the director of photography Rogier Stoffers (Quills, John Q), the production designer Geoffrey Kirkland (The Right Stuff, Get Low) and the costume designer Ruth Myers (Emma, L.A. Confidential). We were exhausted after reading all the honors and awards this group has racked up. The film tells the story of the romance and marriage between literary icon Ernest Hemingway (Oscar nominee Clive Owen) and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn (Oscar winner Nicole Kidman). They covered the Spanish Civil War and other conflicts, so their romance was pretty adventurous. Gellhorn was also a novelist, and is considered one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. The Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism is named after her.

The film is directed by multiple Academy Award nominee Philip Kaufman (The Unbearable Lightness of Being, The Right Stuff). The screenplay is by Jerry Stahl (Permanent Midnight, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Barbara Turner (The Company, Pollock). David Strathairn, Molly Parker and Rodrigo Santoro also star. With that kind of pedigree, this film has high expectations from Hemingway fans. Here's a teaser trailer for the film, which will premiere on HBO on May 28, 2012:

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Toni Morrison Decides Against Writing a Memoir

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:44:00 EST

The Plain Dealer reports that author Toni Morrison told students at Oberlin College - which is near her hometown of Lorian - that she no longer plans to publish a memoir. She said she did sign a contract with her publisher to write a memoir, but then she canceled it. She says she would rather continue writing fiction than stop and write a memoir.

The Plain Dealer also reports that Toni Morrison advised writers to ignore the frequently given "write about what you know" advice. She said, "People say to write about what you know. I'm here to tell you, no one wants to read that, 'cause you don't know anything. So write about something you don't know. And don't be scared, ever."

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Encyclopaedia Britannica to Go Completely Digital, Ends Print Edition

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:44:00 EST

Encyclopaedia Britannica announced today that it is moving to a digital only format. The company will cease publication of the 32-volume printed edition of its flagship encyclopedia.

Jorge Cauz, president of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., says, "The end of the print set is something we've foreseen for some time. It's the latest step in our evolution from the print publisher we were, to the creator of digital learning products we are today."

The company reassured those concerned with a blog post entitled, "Change: It's Okay. Really." The blog post says the encyclopedia will live on "in bigger, more numerous, and more vibrant digital forms." The company also says this is "just another historical data point in the evolution of human knowledge."

The company also released this video about its transition to a digital only publisher. Take a look:

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Fisherman Learns to Read at 90, Becomes Published Author at 96

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:11:00 EST

Lobsterman and fisherman Captain James Arruda Henry hid a secret for most of his life: he could not read or write. He grew up with a strict Portgese father who kept him home from school a great deal, and teachers just passed him on to the next grade. He dropped out of school and faked his way through life, pretending he could read menus and signs. He was a successful fisherman. But when his wife became ill, he decided to learn to read and write. He was 90 years old and asked his family for help. He hired a tutor and two years later he decided he wanted to be an author. At 96 he published In a Fisherman's Language: An Autobiography, a story of his life. The book has become very popular, especially after being featured in People. He attributes its popularity to the fact that he wrote it from his heart. His message is one of perseverance and hope. He is now 98 and, according to his website, already has an overuse injury from signing too many books. So he's resting up a bit before doing any more signings. CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on this remarkable author:

You can buy the ebook for your Kindle at Amazon.com, or buy a trade paperback copy with photos at Jim's website, Fishermanslanguage.com.

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Barnes & Noble Announces Winners of Discover Great New Writers Awards

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:00:00 EST

Barnes & Noble Inc. has announced the winners of the 21st annual Discover Great New Writers Awards. The first place winners were awarded a cash prize of $10,000 an year of marketing and merchandise support from Barnes & Noble. The second place winners were awarded a $5,000 prize and the third place winners were awarded a $2,500 prize.

First Place Winners

2011 Discover Awards for Fiction: Untouchable by Scott O'Connor (Tyrus Press/F+W Media)
2011 Discover Awards for Nonfiction: Kosher Chinese by Michael Levy (Henry Holt & Co.)

Second Place Winners

Fiction: Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante (Grove/Atlantic)
Nonfiction: Day of Honey by Annia Ciezadlo (Free Press)

Third Place Winners

Fiction: Volt by Alan Heathcock (Graywolf Press) for fiction
Nonfiction: [sic]: a Memoir by Joshua Cody (W. W. Norton & Co.)

Information about the Discover Great New Writers program can be found here on bn.com.

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Thirteen Judy Blume Novels to be Released as Ebooks

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST

Random House Children's Books has announced it will publish 13 Judy Blume novels as ebooks. The new ebook editions will be available beginning March 21 in the U.S. and Canada.

The following ten novels will be released as ebooks on March 21: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Deenie; Blubber; Tiger Eyes; Iggie's House; It's Not the End of the World; Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself; Then Again, Maybe I Won't; Here's to You, Rachel Robinson; and Just as Long as We're Together.

Judy Blume said in a statement, "This is an exciting day for me. I'm happy that my readers, many of whom have been patiently waiting, will now be able to choose which format works best for them to enjoy their favorite books."

Random House Children's Books also shared this video, "Who is Judy Blume?" The video shares clips of celebrities talking about what Judy Blume's books mean to them. It also shares some funny clips of Judy Blume mentions and references on tv shows, including a funny clip of Will Arnett reading Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Take a look:

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Oldest Film Based on a Charles Dickens' Novel Found

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 14:18:00 EST

A short movie, "The Death of Poor Joe," has been discovered. The film, created in March 1901, is thought to be the oldest surviving film featuring a character from a Charles Dickens' novel. The short film is just one minute long. Jo, a poor street-sweeper from Dickens' novel Bleak House, dies in the freezing cold in the film. Take a look:

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