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Tag: HarperCollins

  • Charlotte Zolotow, Popular Author and Editor, Dies

    Charlotte Zolotow the famed literary icon died on Tuesday in her Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, home. She was known for her spunky independence as shown from the following quote, “I am really writing for myself.” The 98-year-old writer and editor established herself as a literary innovator where she championed difficult issues previously not presented to youth.

    Her popular 1972 work titled William’s Doll exposed children to gender mores where the young boy in the story actively desires a doll, much to the dismay of his father. HarperCollins Publishers describes the book as: “More than anything, William wants a doll. “Don’t be a creep,” says his brother. “Sissy, sissy,” chants the boy next door. Then one day someone really understands William’s wish, and makes it easy for others to understand, too.”

    The popular book was even made into a song for the album titled Free to Be…You and Me.

    (image)

    As an editor, Zolotow worked for Harper & Row, which is now HarperCollins Publishers. During her employment with the powerhouse company, Zolotow published Dance On My Grave by Aidan Chambers, which was the first young adult novel to reference homosexuality.

    Zolotow released many additional beloved children’s stories including: Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present, My Grandson Lew, The Park Book, and Do You Know What I’ll Do? to name a few.

    The established writer points to her own difficulties as a youth where she moved in-and-out of school frequently and felt distanced due to her own sickness (scoliosis) that caused her to wear a back brace. Her own tribulations with meandering through childhood and feeling the isolation innate in the age group helped influence the sympathetic tone of her work where she sought to guide children through difficult experiences by showing a unique level of understanding.

    [Images Via HarperCollins Publishers]

  • Courtney Robertson To Release “Juicy” Book

    Thirty-year-old Courtney Robertson received the final rose on The Bachelor during season 16. However, she has now traded in that rose for a book deal with HarperCollins Publishers.

    The book aims to release intimate details about Courtney’s behind-the-scenes involvement with the show. Her persona as a television vixen may have contributed to the title of the book, which will be called I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends: Confessions of a Reality Show Villain.

    Her relationship with Ben Flajnik, the show’s star, ended in October of 2012, after dating for less than a year. The following video shows a compilation of Courtney’s time during the show’s 2011 ABC season.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYTBAIg52PY

    Courtney Robertson recently spoke with Us where she delved into her time on The Bachelor as well as her upcoming book.

    Appearing on the popular television show might seem like a dream to most people; however, Courtney had to live through an unpleasant side of being so well-known. “Going on The Bachelor was the most amazing opportunity I’ve ever had but I did not have a fairy tale ending,” Courtney said before adding, “The girls hated me, my modeling career was destroyed and Ben and I had a tumultuous 11-month relationship that ultimately imploded. There are two sides to every story.”

    So, why the sudden interest in reliving situations from the past? Courtney Robertson explained. “I wanted a chance to talk about what went down from my perspective, because I think there are a lot of misconceptions out there about me,” she said.

    Should anyone affiliated with the show during Courtney’s stint with the program be concerned about potentially embarrassing details? Courtney has not been forthcoming about what type of specific details will definitely surface from the book, but she did give some indication.”Writing the book has been very cathartic. I’ve definitely learned a lot about myself and love! I think fans of the show are going to love it, it’s totally juicy and hilarious,” she said.

    The following video shows Courtney introducing Ben Flajnik to her family.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJHPrRLbGI0

    [Image Via Courtney’s Facebook and Videos Via YouTube]

  • Randi Zuckerberg Snags a Two-Book Deal from HarperCollins

    Randi Zuckerberg Snags a Two-Book Deal from HarperCollins

    Randi Zuckerberg, former marketing head at Facebook and sister of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has just finalized a two-book deal with HarperCollins.

    The first book will be called “Dot Complicated,” which happens to be the name of a modern lifestyle newsletter and blog where Zuckerberg serves as the Editor-in-Chief. The other book will be a children’s book exploring some of the same themes.

    According to HarperCollins, we should see both books hit the shelves in the Fall.

    In the adult nonfiction book Dot Complicated, Zuckerberg will share her personal and professional story and the entrepreneurial journey she has been on through her time at Facebook and beyond, including her work as a television correspondent and producer, balancing her career with motherhood and launching Zuckerberg Media. The book will also address the multifaceted complications of our socially transparent world today, including issues of privacy, social identity, authenticity, crowd sourcing and the future of social change. In an enhanced e-book format, Dot Complicated will feature innovative and engaging interactive components, including a platform for crowd sourced stories and social media integration.

    Randi Zuckerberg left Facebook back in 2011 and has since founded her own company Zuckerberg Media.

    “Technology has changed virtually every part of our lives, resulting in a modern, digital society that feels a lot like the wild, wild west,” said Randi Zuckerberg. “I am thrilled to be working with HarperCollins to share some of my own crazy experiences on the front lines of social media, and to inspire people of all ages to embrace technology, as well as the new set of social norms that come along with it.”

  • HarperCollins Pisses Off Teen Girls

    Teen-girl creative writing website Inkpop, owned by HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. announced on its blog yesterday that it is “merging” with Figment, a competitor, effective tomorrow. What that really means is that HarperCollins is selling Inkpop.

    From their blog:

    We’re excited to announce that the inkpop site and community will be merging with Figment, which means you can now be part of an even bigger community of writers.

    Figment is a creative writing website and just like inkpop it’s dedicated to fostering talented writers and giving them a platform to gain a wider audience. As a Figment member, you’ll have even more ways to get feedback, improve your writing, and connect with authors and publishing professionals.

    While inkpop will no longer exist as its own site after 3/1/12, the inkpop & Figment teams are working hard to make sure all inkpop accounts and projects will have a new home and that you will be able to easily find & connect with each other on Figment.

    Over the next few days, you’ll receive step-by-step instructions that will guide you through the process of moving your account information to Figment.

    Thank you for being a part of the inkpop community—we are excited about this new partnership and look forward to seeing you and reading your writing on Figment.

    Reactions to the news, and the immediacy of the move, were swift. Some members expressed serious concerns that Figment does not have safeguards against people copying/pasting others’ writing.

    Wow, thanks. I was just getting used to things and ready to post some work. ;-;

    *Walks silently in black mourning clothing sobbing quietly in a hankie*
    D-:
    Oh great…we’ll be called figs.
    *Sigh* I am so disappointed. I can’t believe HC did this. Well as to my favorite publishing company, it is now back to S&S. I am actually really sad about this. And as well, what happened to, um, notice!?
    :'( I’ve been on here for years, I can’t believe it is going away. Well I can, but I just hoped it wouldn’t.
    So…does anyone else feel like they’re giving up on us? -_- Hmmm… Goodbye inkpop, and thank you for everything.
    –Kbj *Sobs into a kleenex*

    Starting my ban on all HarperCollins books today. Not because you are selling inkpop BUT because you didn’t have the decency to give the users notice. 3 days? Really? Lucky I logged in. I can go for quite a while without logging in. I won’t be going to Figment. I don’t think many people will. What an awful investment for Figment. Sincerely hope you are happy 🙂

    There is one MAJOR PROBLEM with FIGMENT!! People can just cut and paste your work. Until that’s fixed i’m not using it.My opinion is if Hapercolins isn’t getting rid of their other website http://www.authonomy.com/ everyone from here should join there. There is no copying. No one can steal your ideas and it’s still improving. It’s much better then Figment.

    I cried over the closing of a website today. Let me repeat myself. I CRIED MY EYES OUT BECAUSE INKPOP IS SHUTTING DOWN! My own family can’t deal with me right now because I’m an emotional mess.

    You guys couldn’t have told us in advance, not 2 frigging days before this?!

    What about those of us who are supposed to get HarperCollins reviews? I heard that the December projects haven’t even gotten theirs. And will Figment be adding a copy/paste disabler? Because I removed my work from their website for a reason.