Look, Up In The Sky, It’s A Superagency!

By •

We don’t know where we read it first — the news was flying fast and furious this weekend — but there’s a new superagency out there. Scott Hoffman, from PMA Lit & Film, Jeff Kleinman, from Graybill & English, and Paige Wheeler, from the Creative Media Agency, have joined forces to create Folio Literary Management. The trio’s mission is simple. In addition to the traditional work done by agents, they work beyond the publication date (now that’s what we call earning that 15%): Folio picks up where major publishers leave off. We provide regional and local publicity that can dramatically […]

Agents

Resolution One: Read More

By •

If, like us, you made a resolution to eat less and read more this year, the Emerging Writers Network has a deal for you. Our friend Dan Wickett has twisted the arms of some his favorite journals — and they cried uncle in the form of discounts to EWN readers. Take advantage of their generosity. It’s the least you can do. The offer is simple – pay for one less journal than you order. Subscribe to 3? Pay for 2. Subscribe to 4? Pay for 3. And so on, right on to those truly dedicated souls out there who subscribe

Books/Mags/Blogs

First-Time Caller, Long-Time Writer

By •

Next week, BS is hosting the monthly meeting of The Bookclub. This is where women and men get together to drink wine (the post-Christmas gathering is prime timing due to holiday gifts) and eat food. Having mastered macaroni and cheese, we are moving on to a new recipe this year. Should be very exciting. Hmm, seems like something else is happening. Ah, yes, we are supposed to talk about the book (never fear, we have done our reading). This month, we’re thinking of scaring our friends by inviting Orson Scott Card to call and join the conversation. He wrote the

Books/Mags/Blogs

George Hodgman Indulges His Nurturing Nature

By •

We are continuing to sift through the backlog of stuff we meant to post, and this interview with George Hodgman stood out. Such is the beauty of a backlog — you can pick and choose your path*. Hodgman is executive editor at Henry Holt, and his dream is to edit. Really edit. Also write cover copy. His other interests involve avoiding forms with numbers and skipping overly long motivational meetings. We made that last one up, but since everyone hates overly long motivational meetings, it seemed like a good guess. While all editors seek talent they can grow old with,

Publishers and Editors

Ebook Obsession Becomes Dangerous, Intervention Requested

By •

Despite our vow to stop writing about ebooks this weeks, we were sucked back in against our normally strong will. Publisher’s Weekly breathlessly reports on the unveiling of Sony’s new-to-the-U.S.-market ebook reader. Despite yesterday’s story about ebook sales increasing, PW sees the new device as a beacon of hope because A similar device introduced into the Japanese market last year was a hit, giving Sony executives hope that despite the failure of e-books to catch on in the U.S., a better reader may encourage consumers to give e-books a second look. Reviews of the Librie device (which was either a

The Future of Publishing

As The Fiction Trends

By •

We read Nick Chiles’s opinion piece on the changing face of black fiction with mixed feelings. First, we wanted to take him aside and promise that everything would be all right. Then we realized that popular fiction will never meet his standards; everything would not be all right. For those of you who don’t explore beyond your favorite section of the bookstore, you should know that many major chains now have a section called (give or take) “African American Literature”. The reason you should know this is that these misguided bookstores are thinking that the target audiences are better served

Books/Mags/Blogs

This Agent Goes To New York…

By •

A former public relations professional leaves the rainy safety of the Pacific Northwest to become a literary agent in New York. No, this is not a new television series, it’s Janet Reid’s life. After burning out in the PR business, Reid turned to agenting. Her agency, opened in 2003, features a mixed list of fiction and non-fiction, placed at a mix of big and small publishing houses. Reid’s eclectic tastes include genre fiction: While Reid represents various types of fiction, she is one of those rare agents who is interested in selling mysteries. “Good mystery writers, I think, they have

Agents

Ebook Obsession Enters Day Three, Send Fuel and Water. Also New Subject To Rave About

By •

We have reached our threshold on ebook news for the week — three posts is far more than our limited attention span can manage. In fact, we’d give up now if Publisher’s Weekly hadn’t gone and written an inane sentence: Other additions to the list—from the astrology guide by Susan Miller, The Year Ahead (at No. 15) to romance titles like J.W. McKenna’s Office Slave, from Renaissance eBooks (at No. 23), and Fictionwise.com’s Winterfair Gifts by Lois McMaster Bujold (at No. 19)—highlight the fact that more women are reading e-books as well. Okay, we’ll buy the notion the romance is

The Business of Publishing

Books Once Again Safe To Eat

By •

As noted by David Thayer recently, Hershey, the maker of fine chocolate products*, decided that no publicity is good publicity. They thought that throwing a fit and saying “no way” to their signature product on a book cover would be a better plan than, oh, having lots and lots of customers walking by the book, seeing the Hershey name, and thinking, “You know, a kiss sounds good right about now.” As we’re sure you’re aware, filing a lawsuit is always the optimal conflict resolution tool. Sure, you can talk, maybe have a meeting, raise a few concerns, come to a

Books/Mags/Blogs, The Business of Publishing
Scroll to Top