Technology • Innovation • Publishing — Issue #206
Reminder: I optimized this newsletter for subscription. If you’re reading this on Medium (via website or email) or on my blog, please subscribe at https://www.getrevue.co/profile/ksandler1 for the best user experience.
Testimonial of the week:
“I know I’ve told you this before but of the dozens and dozens of newsletters I follow, this is one I never miss. It’s such a great compilation of publishing, media, and tech. Thank you!” — @kpdoyle1, VP Content Development, Macmillan
Important Items
Roe Decision Epitomizes Increasing Burnout Among Women
www.bloomberg.com
The US welcomes the employment and economic advancement of women — yet doesn’t actually support them. We’ve finally hit a breaking point.
Group behind Trump SCOTUS picks brought in nearly $50 million in secret money
Coronavirus may linger for up to 30 minutes in a poorly ventilated space
Squish it if you see this bug — they destroy crops — www.nytimes.com
They don’t all look like this — sometimes they look like a cute ladybug w big wings. If you step on them, sometimes they fly straight up, so you actually need to squish them. -> The spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest that ecologists have urged the populace to squish on sight, is back, infesting the New York City area.
Innovation
The Metaverse Is Not a Place
It’s a communications medium. By @timoreilly.
DeepMind AI cracks biology’s biggest problem
DeepMind, using AlphaFold AI, has predicted structure of almost every protein cataloged by science, in 18 months. Along w/ European Bioinformatics Institute, it is creating searchable store for researchers of 200 million protein structures. #AI
NASA Is Crowdsourcing Cloud Research — on Mars
apple.news
Space fans around the world can help analyze data collected by the Mars Climate Sounder.
Google Begins Publicly Testing Its AR Glasses — www.cnet.com
ICYMI #AR
Apple Files for Second AirPods-Related ‘Sleep Mask’ Device Patent that’s Jammed with Biometric Health Sensors
Technology
Dall-E Image Generator Begins New Stage in AI Development — www.bloomberg.com
After capturing the imagination of tech insiders, the autonomous drawing tool is expanding to broader audiences and commercial uses.
Dozens of fake news websites and social media accounts pushed pro-China talking points
HT @michellemanafy A Chinese marketing firm hosted a ring of at least 72 fake news sites in 11 languages with corresponding fake social media personas that pushed Chinese government talking points.
Robot Cat Servers Are Descending on NYC Dim Sum Parlors — ny.eater.com
They deliver dumplings. They sing songs. They’re faster than you’d think. Should they replace humans?
Amazon to acquire iRobot (makers of Roomba) in $1.7B all-cash deal
The future of cars is a subscription nightmare
Automakers are likely to charge a monthly or annual fee for creature comforts like heated seats or remote start key fobs. And customers hate it. Last year, GM earned >$2B in in-car subscription service revenue, expects $25B by the end of the decade. That makes GM like Netflix, Spotify, and Peloton.
For Gen Z, TikTok is more than entertainment. It’s a search engine. — mashable.com
ICYMI Young people explain why they are searching on social media instead of Google. #TikTok
Instagram is adding more features to its creator subscriptions test
ICYMI As of now, tens of thousands of creators have access to the subscription feature, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri said. #Instagram
Apple is building an advertising demand-side platform
RT @martyswant After years of torpedoing the digital advertising world with its iOS privacy changes, Apple seems to be building out its own ad-tech platform. Here’s @ronan_shields with the scoop.
What does the internet think?
www.whatdoestheinternetthink.net
MT @pechacek_amy A very cool and scary tool…You can find out the percentage of positive, negative, and indifferent connotations to any topic spoken about online.
Publishing & Media
Inside the global gig economy of werewolf erotica on platforms like Dreame, GoodNovel and Amazon Kindle Vella
Platforms are hiring gig workers around the world to write steamy romance novels for English-speaking readers. Web novels are a $3.7B biz in China. Dreame, GoodNovel, Webnovel, and Fizzo are the most-downloaded reading apps in the US, UK, Phillipines, and Indonesia, and they rake in millions/mo. Amazon’s Kindle Vella uses the same model: Readers earn coins by spending time in-app, then spend to unlock chapters. Most authors only earn a few hundred dollars.
Antitrust trial puts book publishing industry in the dock as Justice Department attempts to block merger of Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster
★ A List of Black Owned, Independent, Book Stores — aalbc.com
Did you know that August is Black Business Month? @aalbc put together this list of Black-Owned Bookstores and each entry links to a detail page that includes the store’s website, making it easy to support these stores not just this month, but year-round.
Kobo is now displaying advertisements on their e-readers
Kobo is now displaying advertisements on most of their e-readers when they come out of sleep mode. Via @goodereadermike
Ban on 52 Books in Largest Utah School District is a Worrisome Escalation of Censorship — pen.org
MT @PENamerica 52 books by 41 authors are being removed from the libraries of Utah’s largest school district, after an internal library audit determined that they contain “sensitive material” under a new law, and “do not have literary merit.”
Florida School District Slaps Stigmatizing and Alarming Warning Labels on Books Deemed “Unsuitable” for Children
pen.org
PEN America has found that the Collier County School District in Florida has attached a warning to the description label on over 100 books listed on the district’s online library catalog and physical labels were affixed to hard copies of the same books. The books receiving these warnings disproportionately include stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters and plot lines and titles about communities of color.
A cultural power-struggle at an Iowa library casts a ‘dark cloud’ over a small town
RT @PENamerica Following an alleged pattern of anti-LGBTQ sentiment directed toward employees, most of the staffers at an Iowa public library left, causing it to temporarily close.
Threatened by Armed, Anti-LGBTQIA+ Extremists in Coeur d’Alene, ID, a Children’s Librarian Leaves Her Job — www.slj.com
Extremism in her new community forced Delaney Daly, a children’s librarian, to reconsider her dream job.
Book Banners Don’t Know What a Book Ban Is — bookriot.com
HT @veronikellymars People trying to remove books from libraries insist it’s not a book ban. Everyone wants to ban a book, but no one wants to be a book banner.
Kids Will Still Read Banned Books
@TheAtlantic “Those who call for the removal of … books from school reading lists and libraries not only lack the right to force their values and beliefs on everyone else … ultimately they also lack the ability,” @nicolesjchung writes.
Educators Fight Back Against Gag Orders, Book Bans and Intimidation
HT @thereadingzone New laws that censor teachers and stifle classroom conversations are doing a great disservice to students. Educators across the country are pushing back against the latest cynical ploy to undermine public education.
Politicians want to ban more books. Austin’s library system is celebrating them instead
edition.cnn.com
The Austin Public Library in Texas is holding a months-long “Banned Camp” to celebrated challenged titles in the face of mounting restrictions.
Central Bucks approves contentious library policy targeting ‘sexualized content’ in books amid community opposition — www.inquirer.com
RT @thereadingzone Central Bucks (PA) voted to implement school library book purchase guidelines that will “ensure students are reading ‘age-appropriate’ material.”
Louisiana School Librarian of the Year Seeking Legal Action After Slander Campaign
bookriot.com
The president of the Louisiana Association of School Libraries speaks at a local library board meeting and met with harassment.
Upset over LGBTQ books, a Michigan town defunds its library in tax vote
www.bridgemi.com
Voters in Jamestown Township, near Grand Rapids, rejected a renewal of an operations millage for the community’s public library Tuesday, leaving the library’s future in doubt. Those leading the effort said the library was indoctrinating children.
A surprising list of recently banned books — www.penguin.co.uk
#teamPRH MT @PenguinUKBooks From #TheHandmaidsTale to #ThirteenReasonsWhy, #KafkaOnTheShore and beyond, here’s a surprising list of recently banned books.
New Op-Ed Series Focused on the Freedom to Learn to Launch in Washington Post’s ‘Made by History’ Section
RT @PENamerica NEW: PEN America and @madebyhistory announce the Freedom to Learn series, ten @washingtonpost op-eds that will provide historical context for the current assault on public education. Series begins 8/15; details & submission guidelines at the link.
Read It First: 14 New Adaptations Based on Books
www.nypl.org
A charming historical comedy, a thriller with an assassin on the run, a regency-era romance for anyone missing Bridgerton, and more.
For Instant Happiness, Grab a Book and Head Outside
A super photo essay of people reading alfresco
Hollywood Writers’ Arbitration Ruling Yields $42 Million From Netflix
publishingperspectives.com
In screenwriting, a case of arbitration with the Writers Guild of America impacts revenue for writers on Netflix’s original films
The newsletter boom is over. What’s next?
www.vox.com
The Substack frenzy seems like a thing of the past, but lots of publishers are still leaning into newsletters. “They’re a great minimally viable product.”
Communications, media jobs projected to grow over next decade — www.axios.com
Well here’s some good news: Employment in media and communications is projected to grow faster than the average for all other occupations over the next 10 years.
HBO Max and Discovery+ will combine into a single streaming service
Resources & Opportunities
7 Ways Stores Can Prepare for Book Lovers Day
MT @ABAbook Who’s ready to celebrate Book Lovers Day on August 9? Encourage customers to put down their phones and celebrate reading and literature. Take a look at the 7 ways your store can prepare for the day and join in the celebration.
Bronx Book Fair 8/13 12–7pm virtual
#FReadom Resources and Instructions to combat book banning
- Templates to write a letter to the editor, to the school board, from an author.
- How to speak at a school board meeting.
- How to start a local group to support school board races.
Some super book charts from @RoomofOnesOwn:
PEN America Prison and Justice Writing Mentorship Program — 2022 Mentor Application due 8/7
RT @NicoleShawan PEN America’s Prison & Justice Writing Program has an open call for writers/editors interested in mentoring writers who happen to be incarcerated. If interested, apply today.
Doubleday at 125 at Symphony Space 11/2 — www.symphonyspace.org
With Authors Dan Brown, David Grann, John Grisham, Jane Mayer, Colson Whitehead, and Hanya Yanagihara. Hosted by Helen Ellis. Tickets from $17-$26. #teamPRH
Bryant Park’s Summer Reading Room Line Up — Borrow. Read. Repeat.
RT @BorrowReadRpeat In the NYC area this summer and looking for something to do? Stop by the Bryant Park Reading Room on August 9th for the “Timeless Classics” Series featuring THE SUN ALSO RISES by Ernest Hemingway!
Celebrating Inclusion at Edinburgh International Book Festival — pay what you wish for live, virtual, or on demand — www.edbookfest.co.uk
RT @mollyflatt If you’re at @edbookfest this year, the launch of @inclusionguide is well worth going to. If you work in the publishing/events world, this kick-ass guide to making literature events accessible for disabled people is a must.
#id24 will return on 22 September 2022 — inclusivedesign24.org
HT @LauraB7 Inclusive Design 24 is a FREE virtual streaming seminar w 24 hours of digital accessibility and inclusive design programming on September 22 #id24
IBPA looking for CEO
RT @ibpa Do you know an experienced leader in publishing who would welcome an opportunity to lead, serve and advocate for all independent publishers? IBPA — the largest association of publishers in the US with over 4000 members — is seeking its next CEO.
Amherst looking for AAPI lit professor
RT @evynelevyn Dept. of English at Amherst College invites apps for a full-time, tenure-track appointment in the fields of Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Asian diasporic literature, media, and culture. This position is part of a 3-position cluster hire in AAS!
ProPublica will partner w 5 outlets on local accountability projects for a year. Apply by 8/22.
MT @MollyParkerSI PSA for journalists: @propublica has opened up applications for its Local Reporting Network. If you have an idea, your team should STRONGLY consider applying. I know every single local reporter could knock it out of the park with just a little time.
API Launches Election Coverage & Community Listening Fund Grants
www.americanpressinstitute.org
RT @michellemanafy API Launches Election Coverage & Community Listening Fund to help newsrooms improve and deepen their relationships with their communities in this year’s elections via @AmPress
UBS Fellowship — The Fourth Floor
RT @jkhoey .@TheFourthFloor4 @UBS Fellowship Program for #BIPOC entrepreneurs + women board candidates helps founders of early-stage companies grow + scale + helps women advance for-profit board careers#CorpGov #startups #womenentrepreneurs
Voter Information: Get Informed & Vote — www.nypl.org
RT @nypl Can’t make it to the polls this year? August 8 is the deadline to request an absentee ballot online by mail, email or fax.
At-Home COVID-19 Tests Available at All Open NYPL Locations — www.nypl.org
The City’s Test & Trace Corps will supply a limited number of at-home tests to all open NYPL locations.
A new one from Randy Rainbow on the lack of Gun Control — twitter.com
RT @RandyRainbow The GOP’s shameless inaction but make it A Chorus Line. #ThoughtsAndPrayers 😇💭🙏🏻🎶
