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Rumors have been swirling that HarperCollins may enter into a dispute with Amazon.

Here’s more from BusinessInsider: “The contract presented to HarperCollins was the same contract recently signed by Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan, our source says. If HarperCollins and Amazon don’t come to an agreement, no print or digital HarperCollins books will be available on Amazon once its current contract runs out ‘very soon,’ our source says.”

Last year, Hachette Book Group USA had to deal with a similar issue. The publisher was locked in battle with the internet retail giant due to disagreements over eBook pricing. Several authors spoke out about the situation including Trigger Warning author Neil Gaiman, The Fault in Our Stars author John Green, and David & Goliath author Malcolm Gladwell. (via GeekWire.com)

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Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind the \"Humans of New York\" (HONY) blog, has landed a deal for Humans of New York: Stories.

Stanton will appear at this year’s BookCon for a conversation event about his new book. According to the BookCon announcement, the book showcases “a whole new group of humans, complete with stories that delve deeper and surprise with greater candor.”

St. Martin’s Press will publish the follow-up to Stanton’s New York Times bestseller on October 13th. In the past, Stanton has snapped photographs featuring editor Yaniv Soha, literary agent Brian DeFiore, NYPL President Tony Marx, Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell, Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston, and President Barack Obama.

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Humans of New York blogger Brandon Stanton has photographed the President and CEO of the New York Public Library, Tony Marx (pictured, via). Follow this link to see Marx’s picture.

Stanton posted the photo on Facebook and it has received more than 260,000 “likes.” He also included quotes from Marx about the library’s role in the age of information:

“The library isn’t going to compete with the internet. It’s going to be part of the internet. New York libraries have one of the greatest collections of information in the world, and one of our goals is to have it all curated, linked, and navigable.”

(more…)

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“Cultivating Thought” is a series of captivating short pieces written by ten noted authors, from Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison to Malcolm Gladwell, printed on Chipolte cups and bags and meant to be read in two minutes. They were the brainchild of Everything is Illuminated writer Jonathan Safran Foer.

In the New York Times, Teddy Wayne looks at “the branding of literature,” companies turning to “literary luminaries to form a collective ‘spokescribe’” as the perfect pitchmen. It can work well for the writers, too. According to Wayne, Moneyball author Michael Lewis told Conan O’Brien on “Conan,” “It pays very well to write a Chipolte cup.”

Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of eyewear company Warby Parker–two names picked from Jack Kerouac’s unpublished journals–told the Times, “We wanted to build a brand that stood for fun, creativity and doing good in the world, and we thought writers best represented that.”

It’s not a match made in corporate heaven for all authors. “Not everyone is willing to be the face (or prose) of a brand,” writes Wayne. Elliott Holt saw her first novel You are One of Them pubbed last year. When a company sought her out to endorse an e-cig (vape, anyone?), she declined.

“‘I felt like being the face of some product would somehow cheapen me as a writer,’ she said, also expressing her reservations about the merchandise’s potential health risks. The offer of $30,000 still gnaws at her, though.”

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Amazon and Simon & Schuster have established a new multi-year print and digital agreement. The previous contract was scheduled to expire in two months.

Here’s more from The Wall Street Journal: “Simon & Schuster, whose recently published works include Walter Isaacson’s The Innovators and Colm Toibin’s Nora Webster, will set the consumer prices of its digital books, and Amazon will be able to discount titles in certain situations, according to one person familiar with the agreement. Simon & Schuster titles also will be well promoted on Amazon’s website, the person said.”

Many speculate that this development will put more pressure on Hachette to wrap up the ongoing dispute. Several writers have publicly spoken about the situation including Stephen Colbert, John Green, and Malcolm Gladwell. Earlier this week, economist Paul Krugman wrote a New York Times article criticizing Amazon’s business practices. How do you predict this will affect the conflict between Amazon and Hachette?

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Many members of the literary community have shown great concern about the Amazon vs. Hachette dispute. In an interview with the Financial Times weekend magazine, Malcolm Gladwell spoke out in disapproval of the online retail giant’s retaliatory actions.

While Gladwell did not voice an opinion about the actual feud, he objects to Amazon’s practice of making Hachette’s books unavailable for purchase and delaying order shipments. Gladwell “thought Amazon wanted to be nice to me. I thought their endgame was to woo authors. So, then why are they sabotaging us?”

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More than 900 authors including Stephen King, Malcolm Gladwell and Suzanne Collins have signed a letter calling readers to email Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and ask him to end the company’s dispute with Hachette.

“We call on Amazon to resolve its dispute with Hachette without further hurting authors and without blocking or otherwise delaying the sale of books to its customers,” reads the letter published under the name Authors United.

The anti-Amazon letter ran as a full page ad in The New York Times yesterday. The ad campaign was spearheaded by thriller author Douglas Preston. Here is more from the letter: (more…)

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Humans of New York blogger Brandon Stanton has photographed David & Goliath author Malcolm Gladwell (pictured, via). Follow this link to see Gladwell’s picture.

Stanton posted the photo on Facebook and it has received more than 131,000 “likes.” When Stanton asked if Gladwell could share a piece of advice, he replied: “Change your mind about something significant every day.”

Some of Stanton’s past subjects from the literary community include editor Yaniv Soha, literary agent Brian DeFiore, and PostSecret book series author Frank Warren. What do you think?

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Author Malcolm Gladwell didn't set out to be a journalist. During a Reddit AMA session today, he revealed his professional experience and gave advice for aspiring writers. "I got into journalism by accident. I couldn't get a job in advertising! My advice to anyone starting out is figure out what you WANT to write about first. What really interests you? All the best writing comes from passion." During the online conversation, he also revealed that he does a ton of interviews but he doesn't always use them all. "I would say that probably half of the interviews I do end up on the cutting room floor--or, at least, are used in later articles," he wrote. "The purpose of reserach is to cast as wide a net as possible. I tend to start researching something with only the vaguest idea in mind of where I want to end up. It's a mistake to make up your mind too soon."

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You might think that eating at Chipotle Mexican Grill is a little bit low brow. But they want to change that. The fast food chain is now featuring original essays written by influential writers on its restaurant packaging. The author series is called “Cultivating Thought.” Jonathan Safran Foer curated the list of contributors. Participating writers will include:  Judd Apatow, Sheri Fink, Malcolm Gladwell, Bill Hader, Michael Lewis, Toni Morrison, Steve Pinker, George Saunders and Sarah Silverman. The pieces are all meant to be read in two minutes. The idea is to entertain people while they are scarfing down a burrito. Here is an excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell's Two-Minute Barn-Raising: I grew up in Canada, in an area of Ontario where there is a large community of Old-Order Mennonites. “Old Orders,” as they are known, are a religious group who live as if the 20th century never happened. They avoid electricity, drive horses and buggies, leave school at 16, and bail hay by hand. They dress in plain black and white, with straw hats over clean-shaven faces, and when a neighbor’s barn burns down, they gather as a community to put it back up. When I was little, not long after we moved to Ontario, my father heard about a barn-raising down the road. He decided to join in.

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In honor of April Fool’s Day, a plagiarism scandal has ignited between Lemony Snicket and Malcolm Gladwell.

According to a press release posted on Snicket’s website, Gladwell’s latest book David & Goliath contains original material sourced from Snicket’s new book File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents. To back up his accusations, Snicket has shared “evidence” on his website to support his claims.

Publishers Weekly sought after Snicket for a comment and he gave the following statement: “Every time I blink Malcolm Gladwell steals from me like an outright outlier. I’ve reached the tipping point. It’s like an old biblical story I can’t think of right now.” Gladwell himself has given this response: “Mr. Snicket is asking All The Wrong  Questions. He better watch out, or this will turn into a series of something or other.”

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In a 2003 TED Talk, Steven Johnson quipped: "Who decides that SoHo should have this personality and that the Latin Quarter should have that personality? There are some kind of executive decisions, but mostly the answer is, everybody and nobody." A running theme through Johnson's work is that complex systems operate best when they are [...]

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A popular post on Illustration Pages is a post titled, 10,000 Hours Will Make You An Illustrating Master!, from way back in February of 2010. In the post we discussed the "10,000 hour theory" as explained by Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Outliers. Essentially the theory states that it takes 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to master anything. In our post we broke it down into weeks and years - practice 20 hours a week and achieve your goal in 10 years - practice 40 hours a week and achieve it in 5 years. The infographic below, created by Zintro, breaks it down even further and does a very nice job of explaining the theory through visuals. Practice makes perfect so keep on keeping on friends.

10,000 Hours Infographic Created by Zintro

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Malcolm Gladwell said “I am heartbroken” after hearing that Jonah Lehrer resigned from The New Yorker. Lehrer admitted that he had fabricated Bob Dylan quotes in his book, Imagine: How Creativity Works.

While the WWD reporter wasn’t sure if Gladwell had read the Tablet essay that exposed the fabrication, WWD had this quote from Gladwell: “I am heartbroken. Jonah is a friend. He is a decent and sweet and hugely talented guy, and I cannot imagine what he is going through right now,”

The book has already sold 200,000 copies, but the publisher has stopped the presses. Links to Lehrer’s book have been removed at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

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Comedian and author Andy Borowitz revealed today that The New Yorker has acquired his blog, The Borowitz Report. Starting today, readers will find his satirical pieces at the magazine’s website.

Borowitz joked that editor David Remnick will allow the humorist to write for the magazine as long as “I don’t make fun of Malcolm Gladwell.”

The announcement ended with a serious dedication to the writer’s mother. Here’s more: “if you’ll forgive me, I’d like to say one last thing that’s true. My mom, Helen Borowitz, who died this month at the age of eighty-three, loved The New Yorker all her life and introduced me to it when I was a little boy. Seeing the Borowitz Report at The New Yorker would have made her so happy. I dedicate all my columns to her memory.”

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How many hours did you spend writing last week? Multiply that times 52 and you will have a rough idea of your annual dedication to the craft of writing.

In the rambling and inspiring video embedded above (contains a bit of swearing), novelist Yuvi Zalkow speculates that it will take aspiring authors 10,000 hours of writing to master the craft. What do you think?

I also see how we writers are so compelled to obsess over the accolades we think we deserve before fully maturing our writing chops. And so this video turned into a talk about the need to write. To write a lot. Without doing a lick of research (or even bothering to read his book), I swiped Malcolm Gladwell’s notion that it takes 10,000 hours to master a particular craft. (Don’t quote me on this!) I just love the idea of that number because it is a damn big number. And I think it is roughly true. It takes a long time for most of us mortals to get good at writing. (Via Reddit Lit Videos)

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Author Malcolm Gladwell will deliver the closing address at the Association of American Publishers’ Annual Meeting on March 14 in New York City. Gladwell will discuss “Publishing in the 21^st Century.”

Follow this link to register.  Hachette Book Group chairman David Young will introduce the author and U.S. Copyright Office register of copyrights Maria Pallante will keynote the event.

AAP president Tom Allen explained the choice: “The focus of our gathering will be on critical current issues such as distribution channels and copyright protection, considered through the prism of publishers and our historic partners.  Malcolm Gladwell’s remarkable skill in interpreting new ideas and inspiring thoughtful debate, particularly with a community in which he’s a member, will be a wonderful closure to the day.”

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The February 14/21 issue of The New Yorker is full of interesting things (not to mention a very funny/poignant guest piece by Tina Fey; don't miss it), but for this morning's blog I choose to focus on Malcolm Gladwell's essays, "The Order of Things:  What College Rankings Really Tell Us."  I'll spare you most of the details (though they alarm and intrigue).  I'll focus here on one that had a nearly physical impact on me.  Gladwell is talking here about the yearly U.S. News college ranking and the algorithms that support it.  He has turned his gaze on a category named "faculty resources," which determines twenty percent of an institution's score.  Quoting from the College Guide, Gladwell reports, "Research shows that the more satisfied students are about their contact with professors the more they will learn and the more likely it is they will graduate," a conclusion reinforced by student engagement studies and a conclusion nearly any parent will make after watching their children lean toward certain classes and teachers. 

What troubles Gladwell (and what troubles me, not just Gladwell's reader but a faculty member at an Ivy League University who seeks and values student engagement above all else) is how U.S. News has elected to measure this elusive quality.  Apparently engagement is determined by the following factors:  class size, faculty salary, professors with the highest degree in their fields, the student-faculty ratio, and the proportion of faculty who are full-time.  All of which, with the exception of class size (and mine is currently oversubscribed) just about kicks me out of having any shot at all at having a positive statistical impact on the University of Pennsylvania's 'faculty resources' score.

This offends me deeply, and it especially offended me yesterday, having just spent the better part of three days writing notes to my beautiful and (it seems to me) engaged students—notes inspired by the glean of their talents and the nature of their writerly ambitions and the ways in which they work (so hard) toward amplified versions of themselves.  I teach because it is an honor to work with those who stand on the verge.  I spend the time I spend because I recognize the depth of my responsibility and the abject importance of never rushing past a student who wants more or who struggles for more or could be even more.

Maybe you can't really measure that.  But I suspect that my salary and my degree and my part-time status should not, in some machine somewhere, be diminishing the ranking for Penn.

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By Mark Peters

My newest obsession is Terriers, an FX show created by Ted Griffin (who wrote Ocean’s Eleven) and Shawn Ryan (creator of The Shield, the best TV show ever). This show has deliciously Seinfeldian dialogue, effortless and charming acting, plus plots that are unpredictable and fresh. It’s even heart-wrenching at times, and I didn’t know I had a heart to wrench. This show is wonderful. Of course, no one is watching it.

One reason for the low ratings—suggested by everyone and their schnauzer—is that the title Terriers reveals nothing of what the show is actually about: a former cop and former criminal who have split the difference to become private investigators. That’s true. You won’t find any Wheaton terriers, Jack Russell terriers, or Yorkshire terriers—though a bulldog named Winston is a regular character. But terrier has been describing people as well as pooches for a long time, just like Doberman, pit bull, hound, and especially poodle. As quick as people are to anthropomorphize their dogs, we’re just as fond of poochopomorphizing ourselves. In honor of Terriers, here’s a look at words that have been transmitted from pooches to people.

As for terrier itself, it’s been used literally since the 1400’s and figuratively since the 1500’s. As the owner of a rat terrier, I can vouch for the OED’s definition: “A small, active, intelligent variety of dog, which pursues its quarry (the fox, badger, etc.) into its burrow or earth.” Believe me, if my dog were on the case, I would not want to be a rat, mouse, bunny, Smurf, or mole man. Metaphorical uses from 1622 (“Bonds and bills are but tarriers to catch fools.”) and 1779 (“Hunted…by the terriers of the law.”) show that the title of my new favorite show isn’t breaking any new ground. Terrier-osity, whether found in a dude or dog, is characterized by relentless determination that’s almost creepy: think of a Jack Russell who doesn’t seem aware there’s a world beyond his tennis ball.

As for a dog that is as well-established in language as it is horrible-reputation’d in general, you can’t beat the pit bull. Sarah Palin is synonymous with this breed, but she sure didn’t invent the comparison. A 1987 OED example involved a political hero of Palin’s: “President Reagan accused his Democratic critics in Congress Monday of practicing [sic] ‘pit bull economics’ that would ‘tear America’s future apart’ with reckless fiscal and trade policies.” Later citations mention “pit bull management” and “pit-bull intensity.” FYI, since I am a dog-lover, I have to share this article from Malcolm Gladwell on why pit bulls aren’t as deserving as demonization as you think. As with most dog problems, an idiotic owner is the key ingredient.

The word poodle has been prolific as poodles themselves, who seem to breed with anything that chases a squirrel, and maybe even squirrels themselves. There’s poodle-faker (an old term for a dandy, which feels like an old term itself), poodle parlor (a dog grooming business), and poodle skirt (an unfortunate fad in the fifties). Tony Blair was often described as George W. Bush’s poodle—that meaning of “poodle” is about a hundred years old, and it’s first found here in 1907: “The House of Lords consented… It is the right hon. Gentleman’s poodle. It fetches and carries for him. It barks for him. It bites anybody that he sets it on to.” A similar shade of meaning is used in th

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Tento týden v publikování...

First off, thank you so much to everyone who entered the Guest Blog Contest Festival Event! There were actually so many spectacular entries that I decided to expand the number of contest winning slots. That's right folks, this blog is going seven days a week. Well. At least until I get back. So! Please come back tomorrow for the first guest blog post! I have notified the winners, but shant reveal them so as to preserve the surprise.

Also, there will be no Page Critique Friday this week or next as I'm out of the office. I'll be back on the 19th, enjoy the guest posts in the meanwhile.

Now then. Publishing news!

The biggest literary prize of them all, which you may know better as the Nobel Prize in Literature, was awarded to Peruvian Mario Vargas Llosa for "his cartography of structures of power and his trenchant images of the individual's resistance, revolt and defeat." He is the first South American to win the award since Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1982. The US of A remains shut out since Toni Morrison's win in 1993.

In possibly just as big news, Jonathan Franzen had a tough week in the United Kingdom. First he discovered during a reading that the books that were printed were from an earlier draft and contained errors (HarperUK issued an apology). Then his glasses were stolen from his face. No. Really. Not joking. The perp was later caught, and Franzen didn't press charges. Don't miss Patrick Neylan's great roundup from the Guest Blog Contest.

The New York Post caught up with the owner of two of the most famous hands in the world: the hand model from the TWILIGHT COVER. (via GalleyCat)

In publishing economics news, the Wall Street Journal took a look at some of the factors behind declining advances in the publishing industry and their effect on literary fiction in particular. And a used book salesman who travels around scanning barcodes and trying to find profitable books talked about his profession and the unease and detachment he feels about his line of work.

And Malcolm Gladwell made some waves last week when he argued that social media is not an effective tool for social change. Writing for the New York Book Bench, Rollo Romig used Gladwell's article as a jumping off point to consider what social media and social change do have in common: narratives. And writing for Change O

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This year’s New Yorker Festival took place last weekend.  Twitter fans at the festival used the hashtag, #tnyfestival.

On Saturday, Joan Acocella (author of the vampire essay, “In the Blood”) moderated the Vampires Revival panel. On board to speak were philosophy professor Noel Carroll, horror novelist Stephen King, vampire film director Matt Reeves, and Twilight screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg. A video preview of the panel discussion is embedded above.

Several dozen King fans waited outside the venue only to be disappointed by King’s unwillingness to sign books. As he walked away with his arms in the air, he told the crowd: “I can’t sign guys, I got to get something to eat.” Alas, just because he’s a “king” doesn’t mean he isn’t human.

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Book lovers everywhere are all talking about the most lavish, luxurious and literary experience of a lifetime: The Algonquin Round Table Dinner. First Book, chosen as Neiman Marcus’ 2009 signature charity, is bringing the best and brightest minds of modern literature to your dinner table.  Inspired by the Algonquin Round Table of the 1920’s, the dinner, held at New York’s legendary Algonquin hotel, will include a magnificent array of literati.* Picture it now: sparkling conversation, fine food, you, a guest and . . .

Christopher Buckley
Roz Chast
Delia Ephron
Nora Ephron
Malcolm Gladwell
Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Adam Gopnik
John Lithgow
Anna Deavere Smith
George Stephanopoulos
Ali Wentworth

Best of all? All proceeds from the dinner will go directly to First Book and help put books in the hands of the children who need them most.  And who knows? Maybe those books will inspire children in need to become the next generation of authors, journalists, editors, and literary geniuses.

So if you are stumped about what to give that special someone this holiday season . . .  think no more! And if you are thinking (even though I just said think no more), “Hey First Book!  I can’t afford a $200,000 dinner!”  No need to worry . . .   you can still support First Book by making a donation through the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.  So just think about it, because it is almost certain that the Algonquin Round Table Experience is more magnificent than Santa’s elves, more memorable than Frosty the Snowman, and probably even more fabulous than Rudolph the Reindeer.

*Final guest list will include at least eight authors committed to donating their time for this wonderful evening, pending scheduling arrangements.  Substitutions could occur if unplanned absences become necessary.

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I sensed this wouldn’t be just any old press event when three giant cupcake-mobiles came rolling toward us.  Only in Dallas and only at the Neiman Marcus debut of its 2009 Christmas Book would such whimsical, over-the-top motorized confections be the norm.

Known for its fantasy gifts and experiences, this year’s Neiman Marcus Christmas Book offers other remarkable forms of transport: the Icon A5 “His and Hers” amphibious aircraft (flying lessons included, good thing); the Mission One electric motorcycle that not only is environmentally correct but also a thing of beauty to behold; and a limited edition Jaguar XJL.  As for the Custom Cupcake Cars, these ingenious techno-art vehicles that were introduced at Burning Man™   offer almost as smooth a ride at 7 mph.

Why would someone from First Book be at this press event?  First Book is the featured charity in the Christmas Book.  When Neiman Marcus gave us the chance to dream up our own literary fantasy, we were excited to come to the table.

Or more accurately, The Algonquin Round Table.  We have created a once-in-a-lifetime experience for a generous person who loves books and wants to ensure that all children have that same opportunity.

The Algonquin Hotel is a literary landmark in Manhattan where ninety years ago, Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and other leading writers and theater people began weekly meals at what became known as the Round Table.

We have created a contemporary Round Table with an astounding guest list of the best and wittiest, including:  Christopher Buckley, Roz Chast, Delia Ephron, Nora Ephron, Malcolm Gladwell, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Adam Gopnik, John Lithgow, Anna Deavere Smith, George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth.

The person who takes us up on this offer will enjoy an intimate dinner party with at least eight of these luminaries (though scheduling the actual date may require some changes in the guest list).  We are grateful to our friends at The Algonquin Hotel who will provide accommodations and what promises to be a spectacular meal.

This dinner party will have lasting benefit for children in need because First Book will honor the generous purchaser with a donation of 10,000 books in his or her name.

This priceless evening can be yours for $200,000, with all proceeds supporting First Book’s mission.  Even Dorothy Parker would approve.

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