Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today’s stories:
“Like belief in a higher power, the will to publish a novel ignores all the atheistic arguments and the cold hard numbers.” Dominic Smith examines the contemporary literary landscape, the realities of self-publishing, and the growing number on novelists at work in America. (Millions)
Theo Pauline Nestor offers five tips to help writers increase productivity and find their creative voices in 2014. (Huffington Post)
In the Atlantic, novelist Mary Kay Zuravleff reveals the stark realities of self-promotion in a satirical piece that highlights the depravities of courting readers and generating publicity.
“As e-books are stripping down to the bare-bones of what is actually book-like, physical books are growing more sumptuous and fetishistic.” Daniel D’Addario explores the evolution of books from print to digital forms. (Salon)
A federal judge has ruled that the popular and revered fictional character Sherlock Holmes will remain in the public domain. (Vulture)
“My interest in adolescence is directly related to the fact that I don’t seem to have outgrown it.” In the New Yorker, Antonya Nelson discusses her short story “First Husband,” and how complex family dynamics influence the development of her characters.
To celebrate the approach of 2014, Flavorwire compiled a list of literary libations from twelve famous books.
