10/9/10 Writing and Publishing News

Where the Law and Literature Meet


Lawsuits that kill books http://shar.es/0lkPW

Some newspapers decline to print Non Sequitur comic strip with punch line ‘Where’s Muhammad?’” http://tinyurl.com/22w2nnt

Can The 'Gist' Of A Book Be Defamatory, Even If Nothing Is Proven False? http://bt.io/G6x4  Um, no.

http://tinyurl.com/29skaqz  ACLU Lawsuit Charges That Jail Policy Banning Books and Magazines Is Unconstitutional

Uproar Over Muslim Center Echoes Protest Against Church in 1785 - http://nyti.ms/9DHAZR



More Writing News

Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children - Publishers are scaling back on picture books http://ow.ly/19lLiE

Ten of the best vendettas in literature http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/oct/02/ten-best-vendettas-literature-mullan?CMP=twt_gu

Literary agents are open to self-published writers (if you've sold 5000 copies in the past year) http://tinyurl.com/2cmu2aj .

Knopf Buys 4 Great Pages For $2.5 Million http://www.deadline.com/2010/09/knopf-buys-4-great-pages-for-2-5-million/  Easy peasy. As long as you win the Booker Prize, that is.

Xerox Expands Sales, Service Model for Espresso Book Machine http://news.xerox.com/pr/xerox/xerox-expands-book-publishing-with-Espresso-Book-Machine.aspx Will this help bookstores or put them out of business?

How businesses can help writers. http://www.thevoicebw.com/?p=5007

Podcast: Last night at the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize http://tinyurl.com/2ejbobw

'The Hunger Games': How reality TV explains the YA sensation - http://tinyurl.com/2bq59xs

"Twilight" book's hand model seeks glory - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/vampy_fame_slips_her_grasp_RmLOmyGKnlmGI3xtsvcRrI

Plagiarism or your perfect mate? Happy couples copy each other. http://tinyurl.com/2wawjjv

Harris Poll Finds Mysteries, Thrillers Edge Out Romance Novels. http://bit.ly/a6aViO

9/20/10 Writing and Publishing Headlines

My guest blog post at the New England Job Show about age discrimination is up: http://nejs.org/2010/09/20/state-of-the-market-age-discrimination-and-harassment/




Where the Law and Literature Meet

Plagiarism plagues Chinese science: http://newhumanist.org.uk/2365/lies-damn-lies-and-chinese-science

Embargoed book lands briefly on Google Books: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/political-bookworm/2010/09/embargoed_carter_book_lands_on.html

DRM keeps library books off Kindle: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifestyle/50260537-80/kindle-books-library-libraries.html.csp

Book burning stunt costs pastor $150,000+: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1313420/Preacher-Terry-Jones-vowed-burn-Koran-9-11-hit-100k-security-bill.html

More Amazon price wars: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/128694-amazon-using-price-for-e-book-land-grab.html



Other Headlines

Is Twilight altering young minds?: http://www.livescience.com/culture/twilight-books-altering-teen-brains-100903.html

Want buzz? Appeal to librarians: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/09/11/1817511/a-sly-comment-on-modern-times.html

12 people who are changing publishing: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pinter/12-game-changers-in-publi_b_718198.html

Some ways to instant rejection by an agent (for god’s sake, get the name right): http://www.andrewlownie.co.uk/2010/09/09/addressing-me

Vietnam publisher struggles to issue Western classics: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hyF5VdwSMJSUIqN0BSDU74NXCTOg

Why Kindle books aren’t up to snuff: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/the-problem-with-kindle-app-ebooks/9678

Why Stephen King deserves the Nobel Prize: http://www.journal-news.net/page/blogs.detail/display/368/Stephen-King-Deserves-a-Nobel-Prize.html

Glenn Beck books jacket quotes Jon Stewart negative comment: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/16/glenn-beck-book-stewart-time_n_720159.html

BFF, bromance, hockey mom and LMAO are new dictionary entries: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/editors/new_oxford_american_dictionary_adds_bff_bromance_hockey_mom_lmao_entries_173768.asp

iBooks more popular than Facebook (on the iPad): http://www.thebookseller.com/news/128673-ibooks-more-popular-than-facebook-and-twitter.html

9 apps for word junkies: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/18/apps-for-word-junkies_n_718527.html

7 words you probably screw up: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/14/mangled-words-american-heritage_n_715170.html

8/1/10 Writing and Publishing News

My first review for The Writer’s Guide to the Courtroom: http://traveltheages.blogspot.com/2010/07/book-review-for-writers-guide-to.html  

I’ve been interviewed on Selling Books: http://www.sellingbooks.com/donna-ballman-author-interview



Where the Law and Literature Meet

Literary agent bypasses traditional publishers, cuts deal with Amazon to publish books, outcry ensues: http://news.bookweb.org/news/literary-agents-e-book-publishing-arrangement-sparks-strong-industry-reaction

Author’s Guild comments on Odyssey/Amazon deal: http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/wylie-amazon-and-random-house-battle.html  and http://authorsguild.org/advocacy/articles/what-its-all-about----economics.html

JK Rowling strikes back at plagiarism allegations: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/88ec2606-9a79-11df-87fd-00144feab49a.html



More news:

11-year-old raises tons of books for needy kids in Ghana: http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_ghana19.1d11629.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+Children%27s+Bookshelf&utm_campaign=153b290a44-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email

How to be a good copy editor: http://andyrossagency.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/copy-editing-at-the-new-yorker-with-mary-norris/

Shrek Forever After Teaches A Good Lesson to Writers

I recently saw the new (and most excellent) Shrek Forever After with the kids. It occurred to me that the movie taught an essential life lesson. That lesson is something all writers (and everyone else) need to sear into their brains. The lesson is: Read The Contract Before You Sign It.

The plot involves Shrek making a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, which should set warning bells off in his head immediately. But he signs a contract based on what Rumpelstiltskin tells him it means, and doesn’t bother to read it. Not only did Shrek make this mistake, but the King and Queen did the same thing when they signed their own contract with Rumpelstiltskin. I’m in the audience smacking my forehead at the idiocy of doing this.

Oh sure, I understand that it would be a lousy movie if the characters spent 30 minutes each reading a contract. And I understand that the writers needed the plot device (although they could have used invisible ink or enchanted paper or something better than sheer stupidity). Still, I’ll give them some slack. It’s just a cartoon.

The sad truth is, most people don’t read the contracts they sign. Substite Rumpelstiltskin with an unscrupulous agent, and you have a situation many writers have faced. Since failing to read it and understand it isn’t a defense to enforcing it, the time to fully understand what you’re agreeing to is before you sign on the dotted line. Don’t believe what the drafter tells you it means. Get legal advice if you don’t understand. The Author’s Guild in the US and the Society of Authors in the UK will advise you on your contracts if you don’t have a lawyer.

Are you giving away e-book rights too cheaply? Do you really understand how the publisher is going to compute your royalties? Who is going to bear the expense of marketing your book? Is your book going to be printed on endangered rainforest paper or recycled?

If you’re signing with an agent, are you signing for all your works or just one? What is the percentage they’ll get if they place your work? How is it calculated? What happens if they don’t place your work? How does the agreement get cancelled?

The law allows few excuses for failing to understand a contract. Don’t speak English? You’re expected to get it translated. Don’t read? You’re expected to have someone you trust read it to you. The person tells you it says something it doesn’t? Too bad. You should have read it. So why do so many people sign important contracts like car leases, real estate purchases, publishing contracts, and agency contracts, without bothering to read them?

I know it’s exciting to get a publishing contract or an agent’s contract. But read the darned thing before you sign it. Otherwise, you might not have a happily ever after experience in your writing career. Take it from Shrek.

5/18/10 Writing and Publishing News

Which literary agent got busted for stealing from his clients? Which author is dealing directly with Amazon for traditional book publishing? Which book got halted after a libel threat letter went out to everyone connected with it? Is the agency model iPad uses for e-books going to run into antitrust problems in the UK? These and other stories are in this edition of The Write Report.

Where the law and literature meet:

Literary agent on trial for stealing from his authors: http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.uk/court/Literary-agent-trial/article-2145139-detail/article.html

How the agency model may fall afoul of UK’s anti-competition laws: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/118550-legal-issues-raise-question-over-ipad-agency-model-in-uk.html and http://mhpbooks.com/mobylives/?p=15167

Canadian publisher postpones mining book after libel threat letter goes to everyone connected with the book: http://www.thebookseller.com/news/118600-canadian-publisher-postpones-book-on-legal-threat.html

Konrath signs directly with Amazon for traditional book, bypasses agents and mainstream publishers: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2010/05/shaken-by-ja-konrath-press-release.html


More headlines:

Another piece on applying science to literature: http://www.thecommonreview.org/feature-articles/gottschalls-problem.html

On Ralph Ellison, writer’s block, letting go of the manuscript and finding an ending: http://chronicle.com/article/Ralph-Ellisons-Never-Ending/65399/

Facebook creates community pages for bestselling authors, publishing houses: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/random_house/facebook_creates_community_pages_for_stephen_king_kathryn_stockett_random_house_and_many_others_161594.asp

Cory Doctorow drops Facebook over privacy issues, but his community page is still up: http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/cory_doctorow_drops_facebook_account_his_community_page_remains_161606.asp

Amazon to separate out free books from others in bestseller lists: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/43152-amazon-to-drop-free-books-from-kindle-bestseller-list.html

20 Tips for Writers: http://www.scribd.com/doc/31244122/20-Tips-for-Writers-by-Douglas-Clegg

How the iPad is a friend to Penguin: http://goodereader.com/blog/electronic-readers/apples-ipad-is-penguins-friend-amazon-enemy/

Konrath gives the details on how he makes money e-publishing, including names, recommendations: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2010/05/top-ebook-questions.html







Nothing to do with writing, but I couldn’t resist a story about how Florida police deal with 911 calls claiming voodoo curses: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/delray-beach/fl-voodoo-police-20100515,0,5298065.story