Simon & Schuster Publishers has teamed up with Media Predict; called Project Publish, the initiative allows virtual traders to bet on which book proposal will ultimately get the green light...An interesting departure from the usual system of editors selecting which books to launch. S&S's team will select the grand prize winner among the top scorers, and that author will land the book deal (via The New York Times).

Really, book publishing industry? "American Idol" tactics?

I guess it's the inevitable next step after The New York Times called you out on not being able to predict your own bestsellers (via Bookninja). Ouch.

Posted by Graceanne at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Author Dean Koontz challenges fans to create the best book trailer for his upcoming novel, The Good Guy. (Dean Koontz via Buzz, Balls & Hype)

Man! First, we had to write our own novel wiki-style...Now we have to market someone else's?

Posted by Graceanne at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

-Madonna's nanny gets book deal, loses book deal (via The Book Standard)

-Announced first print run for upcoming Harry Potter? 12 million--a new record (via Publishers Weekly)

-Ex-CIA Director George Tenet's autobiography At the Center of the Storm drops April 30 (via Publishers Weekly)

-Up for grabs: film rights to Jonathan Lethem's newest book, You Don't Love Me Yet (JonathanLethem.com via NPR)

-UK announces "Blooker" prize shortlist for the best books based on blogs. PostSecret, anyone? (via Librarian's Place)

Posted by Graceanne at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

-PEN appoints author Francine Prose as president (via Boston Herald)

-A Long Way Down author Nick Hornby writes children's book (via Publisher's Weekly)

-Penguin Books UK blog discusses South by Southwests' Blogs to Books panel (via The Penguin Blog)

-Random House and Whole Foods team up to promote memoir (via Publisher's Weekly)

Posted by Graceanne at 01:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

-For bestselling self help book The Secret, the secret is packaging (via MSN.com)

-Random House launches Browse & Search functionality on their website. Take that, HarperCollins! (via if:book)

-French literature professor: How to Talk About Books You Haven’t Read? (via The New York Times)

-Oprah will bring Mitch Albom's For One More Day to the small screen (via ReadersRead.com)

-Remembering author Philip K. Dick on the silver anniversary of his death (The Times via Bookninja)

Posted by Graceanne at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

-Philip Roth wins PEN/Faulkner award for Everyman (via San Francisco Chronicle)

-Stewart and Colbert drive book sales (via New York Times)

-HarperCollins launches book widget (via GalleyCat)

Posted by Graceanne at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

-Presidential hopefuls promote themselves through their books (via The New York Times)

-Roy Kesey's story will appear in Best American Short Stories 2007 (via GalleyCat)

-With wiki-novels and web writing anthologies, internet lit moves forward (via Literary Kicks)

-Choose Your Own Adventure format makes a comeback (via PrettyLittleMistakes.com and Publishers Marketplace)

Posted by Graceanne at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check out a video book report on Michael Crichton's Prey created by, oh, say, a high school student. Then check out the professional video for Next created by a marketing team.

It seems the student has become the teacher.

Get the book State of Fear from Zooba.

Posted by Graceanne at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Penguin Books UK announced the launch of A Million Penguins, essentially a wiki novel in partnership with De Montfort University.

Ahem, Penguin editors. You're being replaced with anonymous civilians! Some of them willing to work without an expense account! Protect your necks!

Penguin's wiki novel (The Penguin Blog)

Posted by Graceanne at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)