The Writer’s News
The Writer’s News keeps you informed about new developments in the writing world, including award and publication announcements, news from AWP and the field, and updates about important literary figures.
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July 22, 2015
E-book Sales Drop During First Quarter of 2015
E-book sales dropped in both adult and children’s/young adult categories by a combined total of 39.1 percent, according to a recent report. Read more...
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July 22, 2015
Police Seize American Psycho from an Australian Bookstore’s Shelves
Copies of the latest edition of Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel, American Psycho, were confiscated from Imprints Booksellers in Adelaide, Australia, by police last week because the books lacked shrink-wrapping. Read more...
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July 15, 2015
Atticus Finch’s Bigotry in Go Set a Watchman Spurs Mixed Reactions
Since the release of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman—an alternate, early version of To Kill a Mockingbird—reviews and articles have exploded on the Internet. Read more...
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July 15, 2015
Authors Guild Denounces “Inadequate” E-book Royalty Rates That Favor Publishers
The Authors Guild’s Fair Contract Initiative, an outreach effort to "restore balance to the author-publisher relationship," reported "inadequate e-book royalties" that unfairly favor publishers, according to Publishers Weekly. Read more...
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July 15, 2015
LGBTQ and Disability-Themed Books Banned from Venetian Schools
Venice’s new mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, has banned children’s books containing “themes of homosexuality and disability” from schools as part of his campaign promise. Read more...
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July 15, 2015
How Does Amazon Ban Book Reviews by "Friends"?
The accusation arose after independent author Imy Santiago tried to post a review of a book on Amazon, and then received a form message that claimed she was “ineligible to review this product.” Read more...
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July 9, 2015
James Tate, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Former AWP Board Member, Has Died
AWP regrets the loss of James Tate, masterful poet and former board member. Read more...
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July 8, 2015
VONA/Voices Moves to the University of Miami
The Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA/Voices), the only multigenre workshop for writers of color, will, after fifteen years at the University of California at Berkley, relocate to the University of Miami. Read more...
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July 8, 2015
Zadie Smith to Cowrite Sci-Fi Screenplay
Zadie Smith, the author of the acclaimed novel White Teeth, will assist French director Claire Denis in the writing of an English-language screenplay. Read more...
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July 8, 2015
E-lending Hasn’t Affected Publishers and Booksellers, Study Shows
When public libraries began lending e-books, publishers and booksellers worried that they’d be put out of business. Read more...