Do Book Fests Translate to Significant Sales for Publishers?

In Discussion by Edward Nawotka

By Edward Nawotka Today’s lead article looks at the upcoming Brooklyn Book Festival and its embrace of international authors. In the past decade book festivals have become a featured event of the calendar year in many communities, particularly around the United States. But as the number of festivals proliferate, authors are increasingly in-demand to make appearances around the country. Sometimes …

Are Book Tours Worth the Money and Effort?

In Erin's Perspective by Erin L. Cox

By Erin L. Cox Today, on The Los Angeles Times book publishing blog, “Jacket Copy,” they published a story called “Book Tour? More Like a Safari” about the joint book-tour of authors and couple, Bill Cotter and Annie La Ganga. While their respective publishers chose not to pay for a formal author tour, the two took to the road and traveled …

Frank McCourt and the Texas Kid: What I Learned About Private Planes, Irish Accents, and Fame

In Feature Articles by Erin L. Cox

By Erin L. Cox Sunday marked the passing of Pulitzer Prize-winning memoirist Frank McCourt.  Best known for his internationally bestselling memoir about his poor, Irish childhood, Angela’s Ashes, Frank was also a beloved New York City schoolteacher, playwright, and a fantastic storyteller. What I worry about is that people will think of Frank only as the poor boy from Limerick, …

Mexico Deemed Too Dangerous for Novelist to Tour

In Guest Contributors by Guest Contributor

By Dylan Foley MEXICO: In his new novel Into the Beautiful North, the Mexican-American writer Luis Alberto Urrea has created a satirical tale about three teenage girls who, after seeing a screening of the classic Steve McQueen classic film The Magnificent Seven, leave their small southern Mexican town of Tres Camarones — itself overrun by drug dealers and corrupt cops …