Monday Morning Coffee – 4 November 2019
Here are a few stories to read this Monday morning.
- The UK book industry continues its perennial call to end the 20% tax on ebooks (print books have a 0% tax).
- The Chicago Public Library is seeing 3 times as many books being returned since eliminating fines.
- One of America’s Largest Publishers Is Screwing Over Libraries.
- Why aren’t Canadians reading Canadian books?
- Money.com was surprised to learn that people are publishing blank notebooks via POD, and are turning a profit.
Comments
Xavier Basora November 4, 2019 um 3:35 am
Nate
It’s very simple why Canadians don’t read Canadian books.
They’re B.O.R.I.N.G
Most of Canlit is officially sponsored by the Canada Arts council or their provincial counterparts. There are some banks and financial institutions that offer lit prizes.
At least that’s the English Canadian side.
Official CanlitFrench and official QuebecLIT is the same.
Commercial Lit (writers who actually entertain readers and want to ya know BE PAID) in both languages do quite well.
But they’re not taught in the schools and the various culture programs ignore them to hyperventilate for the anointed with govt cultural entity logos(tm) in both languages.
xavier
Nate Hoffelder November 4, 2019 um 7:33 am
I was yelled at for suggesting that they’re not writing the books people want to read.
Xavier Basora November 5, 2019 um 2:06 am
Nate,
No kidding and welcome to the club!
I loathe with a chemically pure animus official Canlit ™ in both languages.
They’re humiliation ritual manuals.
Celebrating the most boring topics. Like reading about intellectuals snivelling about their nondescript lives while watching maple syrup boil in cabin during a cold snap in early February or hockey moms sipping their Tim Horton coffee griping about their soyboy kids and neckbeard husbands just makes me want to support Canlit(tm) with my beer money. Yup the official cultural industries(tm) are just so attuned to average Canadian preferences
There’s one Canadian authour I like and he write spy fi/thrillers. He’s doing great too thanks to my patronage 🙂
xavier
Gordon Horne November 5, 2019 um 10:38 am
I have several times noticed the notebooks and journals in the bookstore cost more than books of the same size, which means the words are worse than worthless. It can be dispiriting.