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

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