Technology * Innovation * Publishing Newsletter #276
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While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important, which you might have missed, and try to include a bunch of resources & opportunities. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter.
Important Items
Millennial women are making more money. They’re also facing bigger health threats.
Despite strides in education and earnings, young women are faring worse in health and safety than their mothers’ and grandmothers’ generations, a new Population Reference Bureau report shows.
https://19thnews.org/2023/12/millennial-women-education-economy-health-threats/
The mystery of the missing binder: How a collection of raw Russian intelligence disappeared under Trump
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2023/12/politics/missing-russia-intelligence-trump-dg/
‘It’s not about the kids anymore’: Parents, educators spar over ‘woke’ agenda in schools
Conservative talk show host Dennis Prager’s online education program, PragerU, has reached over 9 billion online views and more than doubled its revenue since the Covid-19 pandemic. NBC News Correspondent Antonia Hylton examines the implementation and growth of PragerU’s curriculum with Oklahoma educators, parents and Prager himself.
Countries clinch unprecedented deal to transition away from fossil fuels
Some good news! Nearly 200 countries struck a breakthrough climate agreement, calling for a transition away from fossil fuels in an unprecedented deal.
Europe to End Robo-Firing in Major Gig Economy Overhaul
More good news! Platforms will no longer be able to fire workers automatically as part of new EU rules that will affect millions of people, including Uber drivers and Deliveroo couriers.
https://www.wired.com/story/platform-work-eu-overhauls/
More than 10,000 research papers were retracted in 2023 — a new record
The number of articles being retracted rose sharply this year. Integrity experts say that this is only the tip of the iceberg.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03974-8
Breaking news checklist
When information is scarce & falsehoods are rampant, what can you do to stay informed during a developing story? 6-part checklist and infographic from @NewsLitProject.
https://newslit.org/tips-tools/breaking-news-checklist/
Technology
The Generative AI Copyright Fight Is Just Getting Started
The Authors Guild and other artists’ groups say that it’s unfair to train AI algorithms on their work without permission. Tech companies generally argue that it counts as “fair use.”
https://www.wired.com/story/livewired-generative-ai-copyright/
Apple releases new Journal app as part of its latest iPhone update. Here’s what it’s like
Apple AI-Powered App Inspires Users to Write: Apple’s new Journal app suggests subjects to write about based on what it knows from your phone, such as the music you listen to, the workouts you completed, your calendar appts, or where you are.
Chinese Tech Giant Alibaba Shows Off AI That Can ‘Animate Anyone’
If you can’t dance, Animate Anyone can make it happen with just one still photo. And MagicAnimate is gaining fast.
https://decrypt.co/208614/chinese-tech-giant-alibaba-shows-off-ai-that-can-animate-anyone
Meta’s new AI image generator was trained on 1.1 billion Instagram and Facebook photos
“Imagine with Meta AI” turns prompts into images, trained using public Facebook data.
Direct Your Own AI Stories with Pika Lab’s Idea-to-Video Platform
Pika 1.0 launches with a new AI model capable of generating and editing videos based on a simple idea prompt.
https://nofilmschool.com/pika-ai-text-to-video
The Complete Guide to AI Transparency
6 Best Practices
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/ai-transparency
AI is Under-Hyped.
Per @rishad, AI “will have the impact of the printing press, electricity, the automobile, the telephone, television/radio and vaccinations which were far more impactful in changing every aspect of society than information technology.”
https://rishad.substack.com/p/ai-is-under-hyped
AI, and everything else.
Via @benedictevans
https://www.ben-evans.com/presentations
News Publishers See Google’s AI Search Tool as a Traffic-Destroying Nightmare
Tech giant’s AI-powered search product is being tested on roughly 10 million users. News publishers estimate they could lose 20% to 40% of Google-generated traffic from the tech giant’s possible new AI search tool.
Google, Meta Owe Billions of Dollars to Media
A new study estimates that Google owes US publishers 50% of the value created by news, which it says is at $10 billion to $12 billion.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/opinion/google-meta-canada-press-blockade.html
Marketing Team WIthin Cox Media Group Claims That It Actually Is Listening to Your Phone and Smart Speakers to Target Ads
Cox Media Group claims it can listen to conversations of consumers through microphones in smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices and use it to target ads
https://www.404media.co/cmg-cox-media-actually-listening-to-phones-smartspeakers-for-ads-marketing/
Publishing & Media
China Literature Buys All Of Tencent Comics For $84,000,000
https://bleedingcool.com/comics/china-literature-buys-all-of-tencent-comics-for-84000000/
Penguin Random House Acquires Self-Help Publisher Hay House
ICYMI #teamPRH
Amazon to Launch Searchable ‘Your Books’
Amazon is rolling out a new feature that will put every book a user has purchased on the site into a single searchable hub.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/13/23999804/amazon-your-books-library-recommendations
A ‘renaissance of gay literature’ marks a turning point for publishing
Exclusive data and industry experts — including publishers, booksellers and BookTok influencers — shed light on the yearslong surge in LGBTQ fiction sales.
Poetry on course for a record year
The poetry market will almost certainly chalk up its biggest year since accurate records began, boosted by pop stars, the “insta-poet” space, a groundbreaking translation of Homer and led by collections from a writer whose breakthrough came during lockdown.
https://www.thebookseller.com/spotlight/poetry-on-course-for-a-record-year
BookTok! “It’s Made Reading Cool Again”
BookTok is making people read. BookTok’s book recommendations, releases, and reviews have amassed 185 billion views, making it one of the most active communities. The Publisher’s Association claims that 59% of 16–25-year-olds have regained their love for reading, thanks to BookTok. According to BookScan, BookTok has reached its zenith. This year, the U.K. Publishers Association reported that book sales have increased significantly, thanks to BookTok.
https://goodereader.com/blog/commentary/booktok-its-made-reading-cool-again
My accessibility wishlist for 2024
HT @KatieBlagden All I want for Christmas is equity in publishing — Penny Batchelor shares her hopes for accessibility and equality at book events for people with disabilities, and highlights Inklusion Guide.
https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/my-accessibility-wishlist-for-2024
A New Literary Prize Taps a Jury Living Behind Bars
ICYMI A New Literary Prize Taps a Jury Living Behind Bars: The Inside Literary Prize will be awarded by a jury of 300 currently incarcerated readers from 12 prisons across the US.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/04/books/inside-literary-prize.html
Why Do Publishers Close Imprints?
Via @JaneFriedman
https://janefriedman.com/why-do-publishers-close-imprints/
What Happens to My Royalties After I Die?
https://writersfunzone.com/blog/2023/12/05/what-happens-to-my-royalties-after-i-die-by-kelley-way/
Behind the Book with Cherise Fisher
RT @wordisdiversity Behind the Book is a series by @raisingmothers that interviews publishing professionals of color about their journey in the industry. Read the first installment, which spotlights literary agent Cherise Fisher @ScribesWindow
https://www.raisingmothers.com/behind-the-book-with-cherise-fisher/
Comprehensive 2024 literary calendar showcases 163 opportunities for supporting reading and writing
Via @sandrabeckwith
https://buildbookbuzz.com/2024-literary-calendar/
Amazon KDP’s Virtual Voice is Flooding the Market
HT @inkbitspixels
https://www.briansbookblog.com/audibles-virtual-voice-is-flooding-the-market/
Remember What Spotify Did to the Music Industry? Books Are Next.
Spotify may have made it easier than ever for us to listen to an enormous trove of music, but it extracted so much money in doing so that it impoverished musicians. Now the company is turning its attention to books with a new offering. It will do the same thing to writers, whose audiobooks Spotify has begun streaming in a new and more damaging way.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/opinion/audiobooks-spotify-streaming-algorithm.html
Media Industry Job Cuts Reach 20,000 in 2023
The media industry has seen 20,342 job cuts so far this year, according to a new report, including 2,681 job losses in the news sector.
https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2023/media-industry-cuts-top-20000-in-2023-report-finds/
The Taunton Press purchased by Active Interest Media
Mother Jones to Merge With the Center for Investigative Reporting
Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting plan to combine next year to become a single nonprofit news outlet.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/14/business/media/mother-jones-merger.html
Stopping the Staffing Slide at School Libraries
HT @CactusWoman 35% of all school districts no longer have even one school librarian
Scholastic Releases Book Fair Modifications for Spring 2024
Following outrage and condemnation after the separation of diverse books into an opt-in bookcase for its fall 2023 book fairs, Scholastic has changed course and released its plans for those titles and its fairs for the rest of the school year.
https://www.slj.com/story/Scholastic-Releases-Book-Fairs-Modifications-for-2024
New PEN America Report Documents ‘Scarlet Letter’ Effect of Book Bans
PEN America has released “a cumulative data summary” of nearly 6,000 book bans in public schools, finding that shared lists of targeted books by political groups has led to books and authors being targeted in multiple communities across the country.
Parent challenges 444 books in Wisconsin school district
RT @veronikellymars One parent submitted a falsified challenge form and got 444 books pulled from a Wisconsin school district.
Texas Historical Group Removes Slavery Books At Ex-Slave Plantations: Report
MT @EveryLibrary ONE woman demanded that 2 dozen books be removed from a PLANTATION gift shop bc “it presented too much information about enslaved Black people who worked the sugarcane fields and not enough about the white people who lived in the main house.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley Introduces ‘Books Save Lives’ Act to Fight Bans
The Books Save Lives Act will ensure public and school libraries receive federal funding to maintain a diverse collection of stories on their shelves.
Judge sets hearing in key Florida school book-banning lawsuit
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2023/12/15/hearing-set-in-key-florida-school-book-banning-lawsuit/
‘That’s really dangerous’: Newly formed Massachusetts group shipping banned books to Florida
https://news.yahoo.com/really-dangerous-newly-formed-massachusetts-122744679.html
Student journalists weigh in on book challenges
RT @cabeachler A great piece by a student in MI where M4L is trying to ban books from their library. Many adults don’t have the maturity and discernment to understand what this young lady so eloquently explains. Please read!
https://www.schoolnewsnetwork.org/2023/12/13/student-journalists-weigh-in-on-book-challenges/
Resources & Opportunities
Feminist Press Open for Submissions
MT @FeministPress Our submissions portal is open and we’re ready for your manuscript! We’re looking for compelling, accessible, voice-driven works that speak to our present moment and beyond. Learn more about what we’re looking for here
https://www.feministpress.org/submissions
Partner with the WNDB Internship Grant Programs
MT @diversebooks Interested in becoming a WNDB 2024 Internship Grant Publishing Partner? We work with both publishers and literary agencies, helping to create a support and community pipeline for diverse summer interns looking to break into the industry.
https://diversebooks.org/internship-grant-program-partner-form/
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