"Electronic author cooperatives" read self-published e-books so you don’t have to: Do Authors Dream of Electric Books?, Awesome Indies and Rock*It Reads are three collectives that wade through the muck to find books that could go mainstream. Blogger Andrew Crofts speculates that this "hugely encouraging and inspiring model” could provide a solution to “to the great marketing dilemma – how do you get your book talked about and heard about when there is so much competitive din going on all around?"
After observing that of “most of the writers I have friendships with... we met online, interact online, and I know very very little about who they are, what they do everyday, what they care about aside from what they post online”, HMTL Giant’s Lily Hoang puts together a spreadsheet to break down the online vs. real time interactions with her writer friends.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is changing the wall text for its exhibition “The Steins Collect,” about Gertrude and her brothers’ role as art patrons, to reflect the family’s sympathy with and possible ties to France’s Vichy government.
After ordering a pilot episode, HBO has passed on a TV series based on The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen’s 2001 novel about a midwestern couple and their adult children. According to Variety, the one episode that was shot was directed by Noah Baumbach and starred Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Chris Cooper.
Borrowing a model that’s commonly used in virtual MFA workshops, Mediabistro is gearing up to host its first online literary festival. The festival will take place between July 16 and August 1, and will feature writing workshops, “manuscript critique[s]” and a series of online video addresses and Q&A sessions. Here’s the catch: it costs $425 to participate.
The Atlantic’s roundup of literary feuds suggests that it might be wise to stay on Richard Ford’s good side.
And speaking of expensive literary endeavors, it costs roughly $2,500 per stop to send a writer on a book tour. Publishing Perspectives wonders if it’s worth it.
Bill Clinton’s thoughts on the fourth installment of Robert Caro’s LBJ biography.
