On Friday the Authors Guild joined the AAP in expressing outrage at the Internet Archive’s self-declared “emergency” powers to lend scanned, copyright books around the world without limitations. “IA has no rights whatsoever to these books, much less to give them away indiscriminately without consent of the publisher or author. We are shocked that the Internet Archive would use the Covid-19 epidemic as an excuse to push copyright law further out to the edges, and in doing so, harm authors, many of whom are already struggling.” Authors Guild president Doug Preston says in their post, “IA’s Open Library is giving […]
Authors
Authors Guild Issues New “Model Contract”
The Authors Guild has released a new version of their “model trade book contract,” the first update in almost a decade. The guild calls the model “both an advocacy initiative as well as an instructional tool.” They had the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) and other independent agents review the model this time. (The model is only viewable by Authors Guild members.) AAR president Gail Hochman comments in the release, “We were pleased to provide suggestions to this new model that aims to recognize the differences between ideal and realistic terms that publishers may grant…. As the title ‘Model Contract’ […]
Hachette Still Wants to Publish Woody Allen, At Least In France
Following Friday’s cancellation of Woody Allen’s memoir A Propos of Nothing by Hachette Book Group, at least some of the international licensees expressed their intention — or desire — to go forward with publication. Most prominently, Hachette’s Editions Stock wants to proceed. Director of the imprint Manuel Carcassonne told Le Point: “The American situation is not ours. Woody Allen is a great artist, filmmaker, writer, and his New York Jewish humor can still be read in every line of this autobiography, in self-mockery, modesty, and the art of disguising the tragic in comedy. Including at his expense. It is sad […]
Hachette Cancels Woody Allen Book After Employee Protest
On Friday afternoon Hachette Book Group announced that it “has decided that it will not publish Woody Allen’s memoir A Propos of Nothing…and will return all rights to the author.” The cancellation followed a protest from HBG employees on Thursday that drew international media attention. The company noted in their statement that, “We are committed to offering a stimulating, supportive and open work environment for all our staff. Over the past few days, HBG leadership had extensive conversations with our staff and others. After listening, we came to the conclusion that moving forward with publication would not be feasible for […]
People, Etc.
Philip Gwyn Jones will move to Picador and become publisher on June 2. He has been publisher-at-large at Scribe UK. Jones fills the position Paul Baggaley vacates at the end of this month, when he moves to Bloomsbury. (Associate publisher Francesca Main is also leaving Picador, to start a new imprint at Orion.) Leah Miller has joined Atria as executive editor. She was most recently at Grand Central. At Del Rey, Sarah Peed has been promoted to senior editor; Tom Hoeler to editor; and Alex Larned to associate editor. Allison Adler has been promoted to senior editor at Andrews McMeel. Brooke […]
Bolton Teases More Book Details
John Bolton is on a little tease tour this week, appearing for an interview at Duke University on Monday (and moving on to Vanderbilt). He avoided answering controversial questions while suggesting the answers were in his forthcoming book, THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED: “You’ll love Chapter 14.” The manuscript has yet to receive government approval and therefore unlikely to make a print release date of March 17. “I really hope it is not suppressed,” Bolton said of his book. “I say things in the manuscript about what he (Trump) said to me,” he added. “I hope they become public someday.” […]