Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming, will be released on November 13. The book was acquired by Crown Books, along with a book by Barack Obama, earlier this month, for an undisclosed amount that has been the subject of much speculation (the Financial Times reported that the publisher paid $65 million for the two titles).
Stphen Rubin was once known for launching unknown writers like Dan Brown and John Grisham into bestseller stardom, but when he left Random House to become the president of Henry Holt nine years ago, many considered his career to be over. And then he acquired the book that would turn him into an undisputed success once again: Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury. The Times gives an overview of the publisher’s career.
The Guardian talks with novelist Marilynne Robinson about her new book of essays, her Christian faith, and her writing habits. “I don’t really have an ideal reader in mind at all, whether one with or without faith,” she says. “When I write it is to try to figure out something for my own purposes.”
The website Literary Manhattan has published its eightieth profile of a New York author—”none other than Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and rocker, Bob Dylan.”
Philip Jones, the editor of The Bookseller, explains why publishers will most likely continue to release hardcover books for a while. “The hardback is a mark of quality and a demonstration of intent on behalf of the publisher: it shows booksellers and reviewers that this is a book worth paying attention to. In fact some literary editors will still only review fiction (on first publication) if it’s published in hardback. Similarly, a hardback signifies to authors and agents that this is a book their publisher cares about, so much so that some agents (and authors) will insist upon it.”
Stephen King’s The Dark Tower is being adapted for television.