This legal travesty may at long last be reversed. A bill is making its way through Britain’s Parliament “is intended to abolish costly trials by jury in most libel cases, curb online defamation through a new notice and takedown procedure, reduce so-called ‘libel tourism’ and make it more difficult for large corporations to sue newspapers.”

Not just newspapers: “The bill will rebalance the law to ensure that people who have been defamed are able to protect their reputation, but that free speech and freedom of expression are not unjustifiably impeded by actual or threatened libel proceedings,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice.

Details in Queen’s speech launches overhaul of libel law (guardian.co.uk)

Richard Curtis

This blog post was originally published by Digital Book World as What is So Fair as a Libel Suit in May?

Richard Curtis

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My Dear Miss Klimstrock,

I’m writing to tender an apology for my intemperate outburst in response to your email greeting me as “Hey, Pat.”  I have been aware for some time that the Internet tends to dissolve formalities but I did not realize that things had progressed quite so far.

I assure you that I usually have far better control over my impulses but perhaps you can appreciate that, given my title and social position, I am accustomed to being addressed Milord or Sir. In the circles in which I was raised, familiarity by peers and indeed even intimate friends is considered shockingly vulgar. Thus, to be addressed “Hey” by a perfect stranger was so alien to my fundamental sense of respect and dignity that I momentarily forgot that the civilized ladies and gentlemen who once populated the publishing profession have been replaced by ignorant and uncouth ragamuffins who speak to one another in grunts, slang and monosyllabic code and send texts in incomprehensible shorthand. I would not have guessed, however, that such liberties are now extended to authors and perfect strangers.

I hasten to assure you that these derogatory remarks are not directed at you specifically, Miss Klimstrock. I also wish to make it clear that I am not reacting spitefully to your rejection of my submission, though I confess that the crudeness of your expression and illiteracy of your spelling and grammar did fuel the rage that compelled me to write my regrettably childish outburst of spleen before I could gain control of my emotions.

Hard as it is, I know I must reconcile myself to the common parlance of the modern world. I realize that we no longer live in an age when we saluted our correspondents with such phrases as “Your Excellency” and Esteemed Madame” or even “Dear Author” and I will endeavor to adjust to the usages of the 21 century, however offensive they may be to the well-bred.

I will remit a cheque for the return of my manuscript.

Believe me to be very truly yours,

Patrick Marley-Clockbridge, Third Earl of Crumfleath

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This blog post was originally published on Digital Book World as The Decline and Fall of the English Salutation

Then he found a new fascination, charismatic, classy, fashionable and rich. He succumbed to her irresistible allure. Only one question remained: Would he throw his first love over?

This is the metaphor that may have occurred to some Amazon-watchers when they read that the behemoth retailer is launching an initiative in the high-end clothing business that resonates with its original efforts to revolutionize publishing.

“Having wounded the publishing industry, slashed pricing in electronics and made the toy industry quiver,” Stephanie Clifford wrote in the New York Times, ”Amazon is taking on the high-end clothing business in its typical way: go big and spare no expense…In the retail clothing world, fears are growing that few will be able to compete with a stepped-up Amazon.”

Though we in the book industry consider our little corner of the media to be glamorous, compared to the fashion field it is lackluster, unsophisticated and impecunious. Looking at it through the eyes of a shrewd businessman, the profit margin on high-end sales – even with free shipping and returning – beggar those of the book industry.”Gross profit dollars per unit will be much higher on a fashion item,”said Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, one of the shrewdest businessmen on the face of the Earth. Bezos was Honorary Chairman at the glam opening of a classic costume exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum. See New York Social Diary for photos of him with Vogue fashionista empress Anna Wintour.

Will the more precious commodity drive the cheaper one of Bezos’s attentions and affections? Keeping our Eternal Triangle metaphor in mind, read the Times‘s article and judge for yourself. Amazon Leaps Into High End of the Fashion Pool

Richard Curtis

This blog post was originally published on Digital Book World as Will Amazon Grow Bored with Publishing?

To deliberately terminate one’s relationship with Amazon is almost inconceivable. Almost but not quite.  We have the example of an executive that did it and has lived to tell this David and Goliath tale.

His name is Randall White and he’s the head of a distributor called Educational Development Corporation that also has a publishing imprint of about 1800 titles like Everyone Poops and The Noisy Body Book. Now it is known as The Company that Opted Out of $1.5 Million in Amazon Sales. White simply got tired of Amazon’s practice of  buying EDC’s books from a distributor and drastically discounting them. “They were becoming showrooms for Amazon,” he complained to David Streitfeld, reporting his story for the New York Times (Daring to Cut Off Amazon).

White had another reason to be irritated.  His books are sold via a network of “independent sales agents,” ladies who market EDC books from their homes and were losing food off their table as a result of Amazon’s tactics. Seizing the “chance to make 7,000 women happy in one day,” he pulled the plug on Amazon, or perhaps Pressed Flush is a better metaphor. Yet he claims his firm is doing better than ever.

When we have more poop on EDC’s war with Amazon we’ll let you know.

Richard Curtis

This blog post was originally published on Digital Book World as David Poops on Goliath

It should be enough that she is one of fantasy and science fiction’s leading ladies. But she is so much more, and the Science Fiction Research Association has recognized her accomplishments as a scholar and editor by bestowing on her its Pilgrim Award for a lifetime of contributions to science fiction and fantasy scholarship.

Did we say she was a Nebula Award winner, a Locus Award winner, a Hugo finalist? Did we say that she is a distinguished editor of anthologies celebrating the contributions of women in the history of science fiction? Did we say the American Library Association selected her Earthseed one of the best books for young adults?

Did we say Earthseed and its sequels (Tor), about which blogger P. J. Hoover said “It’s like space and The Hunger Games all blended into one”,  have been optioned for film by Paramount?

Oh yes – did we say how proud E-Reads is to carry ten of her works, with more on the way?

That’s the comforting message offered to anguished parents by The Difficult Child, the classic book by Stanley Turecki, an authority on parent-child relationships, written with Leslie Tonner. It was recently released in e-book format.

Here’s how the publisher describes it:

Expanded and completely revised, the classic and definitive work on parenting hard-to-raise children with new sections on ADHD and the latest medications for childhood disorders.

Temperamentally difficult children can confuse and upset even experienced parents and teachers. They often act defiant, stubborn, loud, aggressive, or hyperactive. They can also be clingy, shy, whiny, picky, and impossible at bedtime, mealtimes, and in public places. This landmark book has been completely revised to include the latest information on ADHD, medications, and a reassuring approach to all aspects of childhood behavioral disorders.

In this parenting classic, Dr. Stanley Turecki, one of the nation’s most respected experts on children and discipline–and himself the father of a once difficult child–offers compassionate and practical advice to parents of hard-to-raise children. Based on his experience with thousands of families in the highly successful Difficult Children Program he developed for Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, his step-by-step approach shows you how to:

Identify your child’s temperament using a ten-point test to pinpoint specific difficulties

• Manage common–often “uncontrollable”–conflict situations expertly and gently
• Make discipline more effective and get better results with less punishment
• Get support from schools, doctors, professionals, and support groups
• Understand ADHD and other common diagnoses, and decide if medication is right for your child
• Make the most of the tremendous potential and creativity that many “difficult” children have

“I can not even begin to express how much this book has helped our family,” wrote one commenter. “My son was difficult from the moment he came out of the womb. We had read numerous articles, lost tons of sleep, and felt that no one really understood our son or our issues. This book pretty much nailed the types of behavior we were facing.”

The Difficult Child by Stanley Turecki, MD with Leslie Tonner

Had this writer toiled for decades in obscurity, enduring rejection and and scorn, sacrificing comfort and security, tormented by self-doubt and discouragement?

Well, not exactly. This author was fourteen years old. The book in question had been self-published. Or, more accurately, Mom- and Dad-published, subsidized at the cost of four hundred bucks.

The boy was one of “hundreds of children and teenagers who are self-publishing books each year,” writes Elissa Gootman in the New York Times. “The mothers and fathers who foot the bill say they are simply trying to encourage their children, in the same way that other parents buy gear for a promising lacrosse player or ship a Broadway aspirant off to theater camp.” The analogy doesn’t really hold up, however.  The child lacrosse player doesn’t automatically get a trophy, nor does the child thespian a Tony.  But the child author gets a book to show off – gets five hundred if his folks want to sport for them.

What has triggered this effusion of literary endeavor? “Over the past five years,” Gootman explains, “print-on-demand technology and a growing number of self-publishing companies whose books can be sold online have inspired writers of all ages to bypass the traditional gatekeeping system for determining who could call himself a ‘published author’.”

The low cost of self-publishing and absence of gatekeepers – other than one’s parents and dozens of charitable friends and relatives who buy copies – foster the illusion that artistic achievement is as cheap to purchase as an Xbox 360.  In truth, for all but a handful of true prodigies it’s hard-won through determination, discipline and courage. “You can basically do anything if you put your mind to it,” said one young author.  Your mind, yes, and your checkbook.

“What’s next?” asks Tom Robbins, author of nine novels including Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. “Kiddie architects, juvenile dentists, 11-year-old rocket scientists?”

To learn what’s next, read Young Writers Dazzle Publisher (Mom and Dad)

Richard Curtis
Note to readers: Digital Book World has invited me to post my blogs initially on its website before releasing them on E-Reads, and this content is re-published with DBW’s permission. Click here to view the original posting.

“This,” we observed, “is a welcome novelty for noses jaded by such natural book fragrances as grass, leather, printer’s ink, and decaying paper. Hopefully, the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France will invest heavily in shpritzing their collections with Crunchy Bacon. (See Aerosol Makes Your Nook Smell Like Crunchy Bacon)

Some other but lesser known aromas associated with books are baked lamb shank, General Cho’s Chicken, and asparagus vinaigrette.

We should not have been surprised to read that “The Autumn Publishing Group, part of Bonnier Publishing, has revealed The SPLOTZ™, a new range of scented books, under its scent-sational new division, Smellessence.” We’re publishing this AFTER April Fool’s Day so that you understand that we are not pulling your leg.

The SPLOTZ!™, we are informed, “centers on a group of cute characters each with a distinct smell and personality to match. Kids will want to collect them all! Boasting a fragrant aroma of innovation, with strong base notes of creativity and top notes zinging with fun, the Smellessence technology is set to invigorate the children’s book market.”

We’re not sure how well the concept will work for Where’s the Poop? or Walter the Farting Dog, but if we’ve learned anything from this experience it’s not to mock any concept, however far-out. They have a way of materializing right under your nose.

Richard Curtis

The Worm Book has sat atop the Vermicomposting Betseller List for 13 years

The flight of serious book reviewers from newspapers to blogs has left such a vacuum in the reviewing establishment that the hallowed Sunday New York Times Book Review has decided to drop reviews altogether in order to concentrate on an all bestseller-list format. The publication will also trim the Review‘s dimensions to 5″ by 3″ as a cost-saving measure. The changes will be instituted in next Sunday’s issue.

Though the announcement caught many observers by surprise, knowledgeable Times-watchers had recently noted that the number of reviews appearing in the publication had dwindled to a handful, and most of those were devoted to vampire novels, diet and makeover advice, and self-serving autobiographies by former members of the Bush administration. “These books are review-proof anyway, so why bother any more?” said a high-ranking Times Corporation executive speaking anonymously. “It’s time to drop the pretense that there’s anything of value to review.”

The space liberated by elimination of reviews enables the paper to focus on niche and even micro bestseller lists. For instance, books about worm composting, a subject of perennial interest to gardeners, will now have their own bestseller list, as will zombie historical romances in the voice of Charlotte Bronte. There will be a list dedicated to as-told-to dog memoirs and another called “Books with S**t, F**k and A**hole in the Titles.”

The online edition of the NYTBR will have some interactive features. Subscribers will be able to mix and match bestseller lists (e.g. books about worm composting with F**k in the title). There will be a Bestseller List Trifecta (pick 3 pays 45-1), and a Four-List Combo (choice of Russian, French, Blue Cheese or Thousand Island).

Richard Curtis