#PublishingPaidMe Takes Twitter
YA author LL McKinney began the hashtag #PublishingPaidMe on Saturday to encourage authors, primarily those who are white, to share how much they received in book advance money. The goal was to break the silence around advance payments and show the massive disparities between how much authors of color are paid vs. white authors. The numbers have been eye-opening (N.K. Jemisin shared she only received a $25,000 advance for The Fifth Season, meanwhile Laura Sebastian received $185,000 for her debut, Ash Princess) and the conversation is ongoing.
Amazon Reverses Ban On Book Critical Of Coronavirus Lockdown After Decision Blasted By Many, Including Elon Musk
When a conservative news media personality self-published a booklet critical of the steps that governments and health organizations have taken regarding COVID-19, Amazon initially refused to publish it, citing the book’s misinformation and its potentially harmful impact. But that decision was reversed when the author shared the decision on Twitter and it drew criticism from many, including Elon Musk, who called upon Jeff Bezos to address the situation. The decision has been reversed.
A Statement From LJ On The 2020 Library Of The Year
Each year, Library Journal awards a different library their Gale/ LJ Library of the Year Award, and 2020’s Library of the Year is Seattle Public Library. This decision was met with protests from many librarians, who are criticizing Seattle Public Library’s decision to let an anti-trans group use a meeting room. LJ issued a new statement indicating that they stand by trans rights and disagree with SPL’s decision, but they also stand by their award.