BookCrossing’s ‘leave a book for a stranger to find’ program has gone global, with 71% of its 1.2m members outside the US and several nations using it to promote reading.
Seizing the Machinery of Publishing
Concord Free Press’s unconventional generosity based publishing gives away limited-edition books by A-list writers and has raised $250,000 for charity.
Hayya Naqra! (Let’s Read!) Brings Books to Palestine’s Neediest
American organization ANERA encourages reading among parents and children of the West Bank
World Book Night Comes to the USA in 2012
UK charity World Book Night to launch in the US in 2012 and give away 1 million books around the country.
Are You Working on a Publishing Project for Japanese Charity?
By Edward Nawotka Today’s feature story discusses 2:46 Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake, which is just one of many charity and inspiration books being published to aid Japanese charities. Several publishers have books in the works. Tell us about yours or about another project aimed at benefiting the Japanese people in the wake of the disaster.
Japanese Publishing Post-Earthquake: Inspiration and Survival Books Are Top Priority
By Edward Nawotka Friday, April 15, marked the five week anniversary of the 9.0 earthquake and ensuing tsunami that swamped north east Japan, destroying 30 bookstores, damaging several nuclear power plants, and forcing the rest of the country into rolling electrical blackouts. To mark the anniversary, Jim Bonner, director of UK e-book publisher Enhanced Editions, organized a “Read for Japan” …
Dryas Donates Proceeds From Travel Book to Japan Relief
By Siobhan O’Leary In an almost prescient move, German publisher Dryas Verlag has spent the last year donating 50 cents from every sale of the book Schattenläufer und Perlenmädchen – Abenteuer Alltag in Japan to the Japanese chapter of Doctors Without Borders to be used in the event of an earthquake. In light of the tragic events of the past week, publisher …
True Holiday Spirit: Author Turns Going-Out-of-Print into Act of Charity
By Laurel Snyder ATLANTA: Recently, I got a very sad letter from Random House, explaining that my first children’s novel, Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains, was going out of print in hardcover. The warehouse was writing to see if I was interested in purchasing copies of my book, at a deep discount, before it went to auction, and ended …
What Literary Charities Are You Supporting This Holiday Season?
By Edward Nawotka Today’s lead story offers a heartwarming example of how one author turned adversity into an opportunity by donating her going-out-of-print editions to local literary organizations, libraries and others. With the holiday season upon us, I’m curious what literary charities do you support? Me, I’m big fan of Room to Read . . . and the University of …
Does Big Publishing Do Enough to Empower the Disenfranchised?
By Edward Nawotka Today’s lead story profiles the winner of this year UK Young Publishing Entrepreneur Prize, Gavin Weale, who plans to launch a magazine to be run by at-risk young people in South African townships. The idea mirrors an already successful project in London, which has helped some 75 kids stay in school or find jobs, and otherwise indoctrinate …