Macmillan Cuts E-book Royalties, Munro Reveals Cancer Fight, and More

Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today's stories:

While agents and authors groups continue to argue that the relatively low costs associated with electronic publishing should entitle writers to a greater share of the proceeds, Macmillan has dropped its royalty rate on e-books to 20 percent of net receipts, five points lower than competitors Random House and Simon & Schuster (New York Times).

Binnie Kirshenbaum, Sara Nelson, Francine Prose, and a bevy of other literary figures gathered this week in New York City’s Meatpacking District for the sixth annual Council of Literary Magazines and Presses spelling-bee (Vanity Fair).

Britain’s Booksellers Association has taken issue with a gloomy Times report on retail failures, countering that independent bookstores have “never been more feted, more recognized, more confident and, frankly, more professionally and commercially effective as they are now” (Bookseller).

Now that the contest organized by Slate and the Significant Objects project has been concluded, the seventy-five-cent barbecue sauce jar that inspired the winning story has been put up for auction on eBay, and the real test is underway.

Author Rick Moody will spend three days next month “tweeting” a story for the new multi-format quarterly Electric Literature, which is already garnering kudos for its slick use of new media (New York Times).

Just days after a similar announcement by his counterpart at Amazon, Barnes & Noble CEO Steve Riggio told investors that the Nook e-reader is now the company’s fastest selling item (Publisher’s Weekly). At the same meeting, executives predicted more consolidation for “bricks-and-mortar” bookstores (Publishers Weekly).

A London MP is warning that new taxes could squeeze out specialty and antiquarian booksellers (Guardian).

Alice Munro, who became the third recipient of the Man Booker International Prize earlier this year, revealed to an audience at the International Festival of Authors last week that she has battled cancer (Globe and Mail).