Speculation, Fact and Fiction

Apparently, we're told over at vnunet.com "Self-publishing sees explosive growth".

Changes in consumer behaviour, coupled with the economics of print-on-demand technology, are driving industry-wide growth in self-publishing.
Online publishing community Blurb said that it produced nearly 80,000 unique titles in 2007.
By comparison, Simon & Schuster publishes approximately 1,800 titles annually, and Random House published 9,000 new titles in 2006.

Yes, but, please tell me, are any of these eighty thousand self-published efforts any good?
Oh, it seems this has very little to do with yer actual literature.

Blurb said that the self-publishing explosion is being driven by a dramatic increase in digital camera sales, which grew twice as fast as the industry expected in 2007.As a result, creative professionals and consumers have enormous libraries of digital images ready for bookmaking.

Okay then, a total non-story just adding to the myth-making about self-publishing. Grrr.

And Grrr again. Over at Digital Spy

Brendan Cole (who he? Ed.) is to star in a new reality show which teaches celebrities to become crime writers.
The Strictly Come Dancing regular will join former Sun editor Kelvin McKenzie and four other stars in BBC Two's Murder Most Famous.
The group will be given writing tasks while being taught how to solve crimes with help from psychologists and police.
Best-selling author Minette Walters has signed up to be a mentor on the show and will have the power to oust a celebrity at the end of each day.
The winner will pen their own crime novel to be published by PanMacmillan on next year's World Book Day.

Right, because there aren't dozens of talented would-be and minor league writers who've been plugging away for years and would really deserve and benefit from this kind of exposure and help, unlike some selection of already overpaid tabloid-fodder?

Hmmm. Well, before I grind my teeth to stumps, I'll take a deep breath and wait and see. I have the utmost respect for Minette Walters as a writer and a professional and if this is a World Book Day project, that's a bit different. A bit. Possibly. May be. Not sure if I'll be able to watch the telly series without my blood pressure spiking dangerously though.

Now here's a bit of positive and very interesting news from booktrade.info, for readers and writers both.

Borders Books is to launch an Internet television channel at www.borders.co.uk featuring interviews with bestselling authors; news on the latest books; and offering readers the chance to upload video of themselves reviewing books. The content will also appear in a daily programme on satellite TV channel, Simply TV (Sky channel 196) as well as being included in a weekly email to 700,000 Borders customers.

Click here for the complete press release.