But I have time today to at least give you all your Friday Roundup!
As you guys know I'm pretty interested in women's issues in general, but in particular the publishing world (see previous blog entry "Gender in Publishing"). In my mind there is still a very evident bias against female authors despite women being the primary consumers of books. And even though the publishing industry is roughly 80% female, that 20% male seems to dominate the top positions in the industry. It fascinates me. And evidently not only me. Here are some recent articles on the subject of women and our fiction:
The Atlantic - All the Sad Young Literary Women
Women and Hollywood - If Women Like It, It Must Be Stupid
The Huffington Post - Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner Speak Out On Franzen Feud
And now on a totally different note . . .
Here is a post by Lucienne Diver about how it takes a village to publish a book, and why that makes self publishing even a harder route to take. I like this article especially as it really defines well the roles of different people who work at a publishing house.
Here are two links to some fabulous covers that just get you all excited about writing again: Minimalist Covers and Typographic Covers.
Finally here is an awesome article on how to use Book Trailers effectively. Considering book trailers are still very new, people are still learning the ropes and I find the whole thing interesting to watch develop. Especially as I just happen to be starting a book trailer making company with a couple of friends (this wasn't just on a whim, we are involved in the film industry anyway, and thought this could be something very interesting to get on board with).
Here are two of our trailers, try to spot me in each :) :
WATCH - Robert J. Sawyer
DARKLIGHT - Lesley Livingston
Lastly, today is Atticus's 5 month birthday, so happy birthday little dude!
3 comments:
This was fascinating. I hadn't realized most of what I read. Its interesting to see it playing out like this. I've always had a notion in my head that if an authors name didn't sound, or look like mans in some way then a pen named should be picked that would make it so- which brings me to why- and here you have provided an answer. Even some female authors I have read or heard about, I didn't know were female until I really researched them and normal population doesn't research much...interesting...
Great links, thanks.
CD
Summer - it's a very complicated and even subtle bias, but it definitely exists. You see it simply in the numbers - if more women are published why do so few of them win awards etc?
The most frustrating discrimination in my mind is the concept that if a piece of art deals with women's issues it is for women only and thus less universal and less "good", whereas art on men's issues (which has been what most novels have been about for a good long time) are universal, a man isn't "male" rather he is representative of everyone (whereas a woman rarely gets the chance to be seen as an "Everyperson", she is almost always portrayed as a woman first, person second) and thus considered high art.
Like that article I posted said, "If women like it is must be stupid".
I look to something like The Hurt Locker winning Best Picture this year. It was the first time a woman had won both that and best director and yet it was a very "male" film, with almost an entirely male cast and about war etc, typically considered "male issues". Would a film about issues important to women, starring almost entirely women, win best picture or more importantly even be nominated with a chance for a woman to win the director award? I think someday yes. But I don't think it will happen for a while.
Clarissa - you are most welcome!
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