Friday, July 31, 2009

Take the PW Survey - Listen to the Google Book Settlement & Webinar

Yes, it's the Google Book Settlement again.

With a September 4th deadline looming to opt out of or object to the Google Book Search Settlement, Publishers Weekly is conducting a survey designed to gather a broad view of how the Settlement is being viewed.

Could you to take a few minutes to answer this brief, targeted questionnaire? PW wants to gauge industry opinion. Note that you don't have to have standing in the suit to participate in the survey. It should take just a few minutes.

Of course, some of us who feel strongly about the compelling need for this settlement to go through in order to ensure authors and publishers are offered some protection and ensure copyright is respected may take longer filling it out!

As I said in a previous post, while the settlement is not perfect, it's an important first step. It literally took years, and involved a group of very smart, committed representatives for authors, publishers and a global search engine. I don't see anyone raising their hand to do better.

Without the settlement, we remain in a lawless frontier, and the implications would be devastating for copyright in the digital arena. There are a lot of people who can benefit from a state of anarchy, but it's time for content creators and those that value content to draw a line in the sand.

Please click here when you are ready to take the survey. (if necessary, the address to cut and paste is: www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB229EB66ZEQ5)

Results of the survey will be shared in the August 24th issue of PW. If you have questions or comments about the survey, please contact Laura Girmscheid, PW Research Manager at lgirmscheid@reedbusiness.com.

If you'd like to learn more about the settlement, you can check out the information on the Author's Guild and the Association of American Publisher's websites. But there's also a recent Webinar hosted by Publisher's Weekly you can access. Go to www.PublishersWeekly.com, click on "Tools" to the far right of the top navibar, then Webcasts and register for the webcast:
Google Library Project Settlement: What It Means for Publishers (or just click on the link!).

You will be able to access the webcast archive for one year following the initial webcast.

Description of the Webinar:

In a webinar first, the leaders involved with the crafting of the Google Library Project Settlement will share with the publishing industry the benefits of the agreement for publishers and authors. If approved by the Court in October, the agreement will create one of the most far-reaching intellectual, cultural, and commercial platforms for access to digital books for the reading public, while granting publishers unprecedented opportunities and protections. Presented in collaboration with Google, The Association of American Publishers, and Publishers Weekly, the web session is a must-attend event.

PANELISTS
Richard Sarnoff, Co-Chair, Bertelsmann, Inc., AAP Board of Directors
John Sargent, Chief Executive Officer, Macmillan, AAP Board of Directors
Jan Constantine, General Counsel, Author's Guild
James Gleick, Author
Michael Healy, Executive Director Designate, Book Rights Registry

MODERATOR
Jim Milliot, News Director, Publishers Weekly

Thanks for listening! I think it's important.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Harelquin Teen: The Next Big Thing--Launching August 2009

I wanted to update you and share information about the launch of Harlequin Teen. You can click on the Harlequin Teen link & see the information about the line, with text and pictures. I've also have included the text and links below.

And you can check out www.Harlequinteen.com as well. There's information there on the Harlequin Teen Panel as well as their Twitter address. Additionally, there's an article in on the program in USA Today and another one in the Shreveport Times, FYI.

Here's the info:

Introducing Harlequin Teen, the home of exciting, authentic fiction for every young reader who loves to escape beneath the covers of a great read.

The current market for teen fiction is incredibly exciting — Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series being the tip of a huge iceberg. With its selection of heart-pounding, edgy stories from established authors and fresh new voices, Harlequin Teen is poised to capture a significant portion of that growing audience. Our range of genres will include everything today's young readers embrace — contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi and historical.

MY SOUL TO TAKE
by Rachel Vincent
On sale Aug. '09
Learn more

Praise for My Soul to Take:

“Harlequin Teen's debut series, Soul Screamers, starts off with a bang. Plenty of paranormal thrills, mystery and sexy first-base-only romance. Twilight fans will love it.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Folklore, mystery, and romance swirl together in a story unlike any other out there. I thoroughly enjoyed it. A wonderful treat!”
—Melissa Marr, NYT bestselling author of Wicked Lovely

My Soul To Take is yet another fine young adult novel with tremendous appeal, intelligence, engaging characters and a good premise a little off the beaten path. I think readers of all ages will enjoy this series.”
—SciFiGuy.ca


“The twists and turns are intriguing, and form an engrossing read. A truly outstanding novel, it’ll be a hard act to follow but one to watch.”
—Tez Says, at tezmilleroz.wordpress.com

INTERTWINED
by Gena Showalter
On sale Sept. '09
Learn more

Praise for Intertwined:

“I couldn’t put it down!”
—P.C. Cast, #1 USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the House of Night series

“Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. Amazing!”
—Kristen Cast, #1 USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the House of Night series

“Each and every one of us hides bits and pieces of ourselves away and Intertwined dives into these inner workings and pains that teens go through. It is a story that any teen can relate to. I know I did.”
—Publishers Weekly teen review, Bekah age 17

“I cannot wait until the next book comes out, and not just because of the cliffhanger last page. I hope it turns out just as intense, unputdownable, and unpredictable as Intertwined was.”
—inthecurrent.blogspot.com

There! Now you know....