Challenge Accepted: And Other Stories
Last week, we covered Kamila Shamsie’s challenge to publishers in which she called for 2018 to be the year that every published book be written by a woman. Some may think this proposal radical and unnecessary, but And Other Stories, an independent, literary publisher, has taken up her challenge.
Sophie Lewis, Editor, outlined the reasons that And Other Stories decided to accept the challenge in an article published on The Independent. Not only do they want to discover and promote more quality women writers, but they want to take it a step further.
“Through our acquisitions meetings and campaign planning—which will be solely focused on obtaining and promoting female writing—we’ll be able to examine these issues, and have a chance to better understand women’s routes to publication in so much more detail.”
Way to go, And Other Stories! What a great vision to pursue.
A Call to Digitalize the Copyright Office
This week, the American Library Association put out a press release calling for the digitization of the Copyright Office. ALA President Courtney Young spoke out in response to the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act proposition, stating that an independent copyright office would not solve the problems that have plagued the agency.
“Instead of independent authority,” said Young, “the Copyright Office needs resources—both in the form of funding and technical expertise—to bring it out of the typewriter age.”
Young’s call for Congress to take action regarding this issue is bold and much needed. The Copyright Office serves not only authors and publishers, but also the general public, libraries, and rights holders. The systems now in place are not adequate to handle the digital age, and Young’s call is long overdue.
Read the full press release here.
Women and the Business of Writing and Publishing
Madison Library, in Madison, NJ, is hosting a panel for those interested in addressing questions of the role of the female author, what women read and want to read, and other related topics. The panel is made up of authors Myriam Alvarez, Molly Knight Raskin, and Ingrid Stevenson, and the event promises to be an enlightening one.
As NJ.com says, “The speakers each bring a unique perspective gathered from experiences in the fiction, nonfiction and memoir publishing realms… Whether you’re an author, a reader, a lifelong learner, or all of the above, you’ll enjoy this panel discussion.”
Any stories you think we should have covered? Mention them in the commentsbelow and we’ll give you a shout-out next week!
(Featured Image source: Blank Media Collective)
