6/30/10 Writing and Publishing News

What are first serial rights? What should writers know about taxes? How did an author’s FB page become a phenom? How are book bloggers finally earning respect in the publishing world? These headlines, plus more of the latest writing and publishing news are in this week’s Write Report.

Where the law and literature meet:

The Daily Business Review did a piece on the Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom: http://dailybusinessreview.typepad.com/insidetrack/2010/06/writers-guide-provides-courtroom-tips.html

What are first serial rights?: http://blog.writersdigest.com/qq/What+Are+First+Serial+Rights+Or+FNASR.aspx

Tax advice for writers: http://www.writersdigest.com/article/tax-advice-for-writers



More headlines:

Five lies unpublished writers tell themselves: http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/5+Lies+Unpublished+Writers+Tell+Themselves+And+The+Truths+That+Can+Get+Them+Published.aspx

Why an author’s Facebook page for his book accidentally became a phenom (or, how to fool FB members by cleverly naming your page): http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/publicity/authors_book_title_inadvertently_becomes_facebook_fan_page_phenom_166147.asp

Jeff Bezos rubs his hands together and reveals his evil plan. BWAHAHAHA. Just kidding. He’s interviewed in Fortune. He actually does have lots of plans: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/06/29/jeff-bezos%E2%80%99s-mission-compelling-small-publishers-to-think-big/?s-mission-compelling-small-publishers-to-think-big§ion=magazines_fortune

And everyone analyzes the Jeff Bezos interview: http://techcrunch.com/2010/06/29/jeff-bezos-ipad/

Then Amazon crashes: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/43688-amazon-com-crashes.html

Analyzing Harper Lee for the upcoming anniversary of Mockingbird: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1289793/Dont-mention-mockingbird-Meet-Harper-Lee-reclusive-novelist-wrote-classic-novel-mesmerised-40-million-readers.html

And the backlash against Mockingbird: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/jun/29/to-kill-a-mockingbird-backlash?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theguardian%2Fbooks%2Frss+%28Books%29

Is Robert Pattinson related to Vlad the Impaler, the model for Dracula? Or is it all a bad publicity stunt?: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/7851237/Twilight-star-Robert-Pattinson-related-to-Dracula.html

Book bloggers get respect in publishing world, finally: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-book-blogger-20100627,0,4401314.story

And the world’s worst writer is: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128198534&ft=1&f=1032

6/22/10 Writing and Publishing News

How can you protect your ideas before submitting? Should you sign a one-book or multi-book deal? How did Amazon almost put an indie publisher out of business? Are the British courts trying to fix libel law? When will the Google decision issue? Does age matter in Hollywood? These and other stories are in this week’s Write Report.


Where the law and literature meet:

Amazon nearly causes indie bookstore to shut down after it cuts off online store over customer satisfaction levels: http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/s/2072859_amazon_cutoff_left_bookshop_out_of_pocket

Amazon to give fewer services to distributors and publishers who pay less: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/43488-new-amazon-program-spurs-complaints.html

Court gives no indication of when Google settlement decision will issue: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20008346-265.html

Tales from the Shakespeare book thief trial: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/7844716/Librarians-heart-sank-on-seeing-damaged-Shakespeare-first-edition.html

British court raises standard for bringing libel claims in landmark ruling: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=45595&c=1

12 most bizarre comedian lawsuits: http://comedy.com/2010/06/21/12-most-bizarre-comedian-lawsuits/

Writers Guild asks IMDB to remove ages from listings because, surprise, Hollywood discriminates based on age: http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/06/writers-guild-pressures-imdb-to-remove-age-info.html

Attorney answers how you can protect your ideas before submitting: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/publishing/ask_a_lawyer_how_do_i_keep_them_from_stealing_my_idea_164032.asp

Hong Kong publisher halts Tiananmen Square book over copyright concerns: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTDwszLhsGMN1NQAicjbOwjm5qCgD9GEP7J80

Agent talks about advantages of one book vs. multi-book contracts: http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2010/06/one-book-or-two-maybe-three.html



More headlines:

Very silly things heard at bookshops: http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=57303

Ebooks: Royalties vs. respect: http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/06/21/ebooks-self-publishing-luminato.html

Geoffrey Hill wins Oxford Professor of Poetry slot in a landslide: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/jun/18/oxford-professor-poetry-geoffrey-hill

How gadgets are affecting your brain: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?scp=1&sq=brain%20computer&st=cse

Here’s a poll on which craze will be the new vampires in YA lit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/22/the-new-vampires-9-possib_n_620202.html

6/16/10 Writing and Publishing News

Why shouldn’t Bloomberg/Wiley authors sign the modifications the publisher is proposing? Which major sports bio went on sale despite threats and bookstores refusing to shelve? Which publisher is accused of sexual harassment? These headlines, plus more of the latest writing and publishing news are in this week’s Write Report.


Thanks so much to the Florida Writer's Association, which just named The Writer's Guide to the Courtroom as a finalist in the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Awards.

Where the law and literature meet:

The Authors Guild warns Wiley/Bloomberg authors not to sign that harmless looking modification they just got from their publisher: http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/wileys-deceptive-letter-to-bloomberg-press.html  and http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/wiley.html  and http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/one-in-five-bloomberg-authors-received.html  and http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/wiley-rejects-authors-guild.html  and Wiley’s response http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/PressRelease/pressReleaseId-76717.html

Will piracy increase revenues?: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/120264-piracy-may-not-affect-revenues-says-new-report.html

Rooney’s Gold goes on sale despite legal threats, WH Smith backs out: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/120169-rooneys-gold-goes-on-sale-despite-legal-warnings.html

Florida passes law assuring student free speech rights: http://www.splc.org/newsflash.asp?id=2103&year=

Freelance writers get settlement in internet publication case: http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000374111

Do you only need to file a copyright application to enforce your rights, or does it need to be issued? Depends on where you live: http://www.jdsupra.com/post/documentViewer.aspx?fid=a45e2c87-5796-4177-a032-ef88e2a876de  

Did Glenn Beck crib the plot of his new novel from a 2005 self-published novel? Here’s the comparison: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/glenn-becks-new-novel-abo_b_613861.html

London book thief steals $80,000 worth of books from library. I guess he had a big backpack: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/7829895/Book-thief-had-shopping-list-of-treasures.html

New details in Penguin sexual harassment case: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/120768-new-details-emerge-in-penguin-sexual-harassment-case.html

Publishers accuse Amazon of extortion: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/120788-us-publishers-hit-out-over-amazon-extortion.html

Children’s vetting scheme that impacted author school visits has been canned for now: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/120771-childrens-vetting-scheme-disbanded.html

Dyer accused of plagiarism: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/120777-dyer-accused-of-plagiarism.html

Twilight folks sue over jacket: http://www.imdb.com/news/ni2891178/

Gaiman sues over Spawn: http://www.dailyfinance.com/article/biff-pow-comic-artists-clash-over/1113566/



More headlines:

Glenn Beck endorses Nazi book. Nobody is surprised: http://www.salon.com/news/glenn_beck/index.html?story=/opinion/conason/2010/06/07/dilling

Best articles on writing from the first half of 2010: http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules/2010/06/08/BestArticlesWritersShouldHaveRead1stHalfOf2010.aspx

Five million books downloaded to iPad: http://industry.bnet.com/media/10008527/even-with-fuzzy-math-ipad-wins-another-e-book-hand-against-kindle/

Children’s authors strike back! Colfer to pen adult novel: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/43472-colfer-pens-first-adult-novel---.html

The 5 greatest books with psychotic fan bases: http://www.cracked.com/article_18568_the-5-greatest-books-with-psychotic-fan-bases.html?notwilight

New interactive guide to Ringworld: http://io9.com/5561479/interactive-guide-to-larry-nivens-ringworld-is-the-next-best-thing-to-going-there

The origins of the vampire story: http://chronicle.com/article/All-the-Dead-Are-Vampires/65829

Why are the Brits so rude? (the author obviously has never been to Miami, the world capitol of rudeness): http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/naughty-by-nature-why-has-britain-become-so-rude-1995950.html

6/6/10 Writing and Publishing News

This week on Litopia’s podcast The Debriefer, Peter and I talked about the universal e-book format, why it matters that we don’t have one yet, and what authors can put in their contracts to make sure their books appear in all the major e-formats. This headline, plus more of the latest writing and publishing news are in this week’s Write Report.

The Write Report has been named an Awesome Blog by Writing World, the very first blog chosen for this honor.  Thanks so much. What an incredible honor. Writing-World.com is an awesome website for writers.


Where the law and literature meet:


Publishers seek universal e-book format: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/05/universal-e-books-format/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29

My article for the Write 101 newsletter on using the law in stories: http://www.write101.com/quillthelawyers.htm

Tintin lawyers lament banning attempt: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ieFgPCgPC7IDP1znecsvxwCPzM-A

Book thieves prefer literary fiction, long, boring descriptions: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/its-hard-to-read-these-highbrow-heisters-1982679.html

European publishers hold off joining iPad bandwagon amid legal fears: http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/05/27/ipad.euro.launch.may.challenge.agency.e.book.model/

Free comic book website sued for infringement: http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20100601_Feds__comic-book_publishers_don_t_find_Fla__man_s_free_Web_sites_so_funny.html#ixzz0pbO5Wmml

Texas AG looks at Apple e-book pricing: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/lunch/free/archives/006580.html

Convicted felon/former Tyco CEO sues Steve Forbes for libel: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0120728620100601?type=marketsNews

What will it mean when ownership of books disappears?: http://bookbrunch.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5656&Itemid=117



More headlines:

Can publishers prove their worth to writers?: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/28/apple-ipad-launch-publishing