Ghostwriting and the Political Book Culture

Los Angeles Times

So Are We Getting the Whole Story? A presidential (first lady, congressman, congressman’s aide) memoir is a hot ticket to the best-seller list, and a sought-out commodity for publishing houses. But who’s writing them and are we getting the facts, really? While ghostwriters are extremely valuable, how much power do they wield? —Elise Speiser

6 Serious Office Health Risks

Yahoo! Finance

Who Knew Editing Could Be So Dangerous? Seriously, though, we want to be producing good books for a long time, so for those of us editing, designing, producing, running numbers, reading proposals, let’s do our best to stay healthy and avoid these six heath risks.

The iPad, the Kindle, and the Future of Books

The New Yorker

New Moves in the Chess Match against Amazon Publishers are flocking to the iPad to pressure Amazon into raising its ebook prices. Google is preparing to enter the ebook distribution fray, though with a friendlier stance toward brick-and-mortar bookstores. In this article Ken Auletta helps us get a handle on the new market forces publishers are having to contend with in an increasingly digital environment.

Isabella top name for girls; Jacob No. 1 for boys

Yahoo! News

Oh, The Power We Have! Who knew that we in publishing could have a lifelong influence—literally—on numerous babies? Yep, have a big enough splash and those characters’ names may end up on many a birth certificate!

Project Puts 1M Books Online for Blind, Dyslexic

Associated Press

And Lest We Forget . . . With all this talk about iPads and new digitized content, one group in San Francisco is not forgetting the visually-impaired and dyslexic, for whom the latest visual technology means little. Their goal? One million books available to these select groups.

Mother’s Day History

mothersdaycelebration.com

History of Mother’s Day We in publishing are not immune to the commercialization of mother’s day—in fact, we have plenty of offerings to add to the choices of gift-givers the world over. But do you know the history of mother’s day?

Introducing the Mobys: Book Trailer Awards

Publishing Perspectives

It’s Like VH1 for Books! This is one award show I’d actually watch! See the new Mobys awards for book trailers—and their categories, including "Least Likely to Actually Sell the Book."

TomTom Enlists “Star Wars” Voices for GPS

Marketing Daily

Come to the Dark Side OK, maybe this isn’t about publishing but it’s too brilliant not to include. That voice on your GPS? How about Darth Vader? One company is doing just that.

Three Overlooked Lessons about the iPad

Good Experience

So, What’s Your Take on the iPad? Technology is changing so fast I gave up keeping up long ago. I don’t even yet have a Kindle or an iTouch, never mind an iPad (although just try wrestling the iTouch away from my 75-year-old mom). Maybe this article is right—as I roll my eyes from behind my laptop . . .

What Fans Will Find at Universal Orlando’s World of Harry Potter

People Magazine

And So It Continues . . . If you (or your kids) just haven’t had enough of Harry Potter, head to the new theme part at Universal. See the Hogwarts Express. Visit Hogsmeade. Try some Butterbeer. Ride the high-speed roller coaster Dragon Challenge. Sounds like a magical time to me!