“Editors are supposed to edit: well, of course. What else would they do? And why should Private Eye, in the process of tweaking a few authors’ noses, alight on those who labour behind the scenes and accuse them of incompetence? The answer lies in the changing role of the editor, in the turning wheel of the publishing industry and in the expectations of readers.”
Category: publishing
Paris Review To Publish Roberto Bolano Novel
“The spring issue of the Paris Review will contain a lost manuscript … [which] Bolaño called The Third Reich. The magazine plans to publish the complete novel in four installments over the course of a year, which will be followed by a hardcover version” from Farrar Strauss Giroux.
Japan Moves to Curb Suggestive Imagery of Young Girls
“Japan, which has long been relatively tolerant of the open sale and consumption of sexually oriented material, lately has developed a brisk trade in works that in many other countries might be considered child pornography. But now some public officials want to place tighter restrictions on the provocative depictions of young girls – referred to as ‘junior idols’ – that are prevalent in magazines, DVDs and Web videos.”
Will Million-Book Giveaway Hurt Writes, Booksellers?
“Three weeks ahead of the inaugural World Book Night book-giving event on 5 March, a row has broken out over whether the event will damage independent booksellers and harm authors.”
Freelance Book Editors – A Good Idea?
Is “professional” editing something like a medical diagnosis? Will there be a consensus among experts about what any given manuscript requires? And in an age of instant books, easy self-publishing and editorless publishers, are we going to start thinking about doing without editors altogether?
Book-Banning Takes To The Internet
“Websites like PABBIS.org and Safelibraries.org have become the vanguard for a recent increase in organized attempts to ban books from public libraries and school curricula.”
Powell’s Books Lays Off 31 Staffers
“Citing ‘the unprecedented, rapidly changing nature of the book industry’,” the revered Portland bookstore “announced today it will lay off 31 employees.”
Slamming A Popular DC Poetry Slam
“What looked like a literary prank – a cardboard cutout of Langston Hughes snatched from Busboys & Poets last week – has turned into full-blown debate about the D.C. poetry scene.”
Tolkien Estate Wary of Russian Reworking of Lord of the Rings
“The Last Ring-Bearer, by palaeontologist Kirill Yeskov, retells Tolkien’s epic story from the perspective of the region of Mordor, from where Sauron, the Dark Lord, waged war.” An English translation of Ring-Bearer, now available for free online, has drawn a warning from the UK’s Society of Authors.
Beryl Bainbridge Never Won a Booker Prize, So They’ve Made One Just for Her
“The acclaimed author was shortlisted a record five times, but the prize eluded her. She died in July last year, aged 75, without tasting Booker success. Belatedly, the award organisers are to remedy the situation by creating a special award … the Man Booker Best of Beryl prize, decided by public vote.”