Breaking news on authors, publishers, and book-related topics

Majority of British consumers not interested in downloading books

Feb 11 2008: Publishing News reports that a new survey by BML (a research company specializing on the book market place) shows that most British consumers are not yet aware that it is possible to download books, let alone interested in the prospect of doing so.

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Association of American Publishers joins Plame's fight against CIA

Feb 10 2008: Publishers Weekly reports that the AAP is entering the legal fray surrounding Valerie Plame's memoir, Fair Game. The book, which Simon & Schuster published in October, has already drawn the publisher and its author into a legal battle with the CIA. A lawsuit filed...

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Eight rules authors should follow to avoid scandals

Feb 08 2008: The Guardian offer eight rules authors should follow to avoid scandals:

1. Do not use the word "memoir" unless you mean it.
2. If you're not sure whether what you're writing is a memoir or not, guess what? It's a novel.
3. No more than half a page of ...

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Reading Is Less Fundamental in Bush Budget

Feb 07 2008: CEO of Reading Is Fundamental Carol Rasco issued a statement warning that "President Bush's proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental's (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their ...

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Excerpt from Benazir Bhutto's memoir

Feb 05 2008: The London Times has published a lengthy excerpt from assassinated former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's memoir, Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy & the West, in which Bhutto (who was twice removed from office on corruption charges) makes shocking allegations ...

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'Lolita' children's bedroom set removed from sale following parent pressure

Feb 04 2008: The Times of London reports that high street retailer Woolworths has withdrawn bedroom furniture for young girls bearing the sexually charged name Lolita after a campaign waged by a mothers’ online chat room. The Lolita Midsleeper Combi (a whitewashed wooden bed with ...

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Amazon to buy Audible

Jan 31 2008: Publishers Weekly reports that Amazon has agreed to acquire Audible, Inc, the USA's largest provider of digital downloads of spoken-word audio, for about $300 million. Audible has 160 employees and is based in Newark, N.J. and is the exclusive distributor of spokenword ...

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13 arrested in assassination plot against Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk

Jan 30 2008: Thirteen people have been arrested in Turkey as part of an investigation into an ultra-nationalist gang reported to be planning the assassination of Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, reports the Guardian newspaper. According to reports in the Turkish press, Pamuk was ...

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