This year’s National Book Foundation Literarian Award recipient Paul Coates has been accused of publishing “racist, antisemitic, and homophobic books and authors” in an “enthusiastic and uncritical” manner, in an article by Mark Oppenheimer in Arc Magazine. That article expands considerably on questions first raised in a piece in The Jewish Insider by Matthew Kassel, which focused on one book in particular. Additionally, Oppenheimer suggests the selection “was a surprising choice” because Coates previously served as a National Book Foundation board member. The Literarian Award is given for “outstanding service to the literary community.” Coates, who is the father of […]
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Nan Graham Will Step Down As Scribner Publisher, Transition To New Editing Role
Nan Graham will step down as publisher of Scribner and take on a new role editing at the imprint in 2025. Simon & Schuster says it will “begin an open and thorough search for the next publisher of Scribner.” Graham joined the imprint in 1994 as its first editor-in-chief. In her new role, she will edit her existing authors and acquire new books. Simon & Schuster ceo Jonathan Karp said in a release, “Nan’s range as an editor is extraordinary. In addition to being a great editor, Nan has been a superb publisher and generous mentor. A revered and integral […]
8th Note Press Partners With Zando On Print Editions
ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, announced a partnership between its digital-only imprint 8th Note Press and Zando to expand into print books. Zando “will debut its titles for the first time in print to a worldwide audience.” The two companies plan to release 10 to 15 romance, romantasy, and YA titles a year in print, beginning in early 2025, with a focus on millennial and Gen Z readers. Under the partnership, some titles will be completely new and others will be print versions of existing e-books. 8th Note’s head of editorial Jacob Bronstein told the NYT, “Physical books […]
James Patterson Launches Substack
James Patterson has launched a Substack called Hungry Dogs. He writes in an introductory message that he plans to post three days a week. Content will include excerpts from his books; interviews with authors like David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand, T. J. Newman, and Kwame Alexander; and a column called “Stop The Insanity” on topics like book banning. The name of the newsletter comes from something his grandmother used to say: ““Hungry dogs run faster.” Patterson tells the WSJ notes, “Patterson said he has found it difficult to get opinion pieces into major newspapers. And when he has attempted to get […]
Skyhorse Tried to Charge CNN for Melania Trump Book Interview
CNN reports that when they requested an interview with Melania Trump surrounding her eponymous book, which publishes October 8 from Skyhorse, the publisher sent back an NDA with a clause that “CNN shall pay a licensing fee of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000)” for an interview and the use of photos and excerpts from the book. The news organization notes that they did not sign the agreement, which came after weeks of discussions with the publisher. The contract “laid out strict terms for an interview and use of material from the book” and had signature lines for the agent, […]
Diesel Bookstore in Brentwood Faces Protests Over Controversial Title
Diesel Bookstore in the well-known Brentwood Country Mart in LA faced protests last week over a title they had on display called Understanding Hamas: And Why That Matters, by Helena Cobban and Rami G. Khouri (OR Books). On September 22, a customer complained to a 17-year-old employee about the book, which was out on a table, and the heated confrontation was captured on video and posted to social media. After the video spread online, there was a demonstration the next day, which included several protestors blocking the store’s entrance in “a standoff…that lasted for about 90 minutes.” One hung an […]