Publishing Perils in the Digital Age

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These are uncertain times for many established writers, as the case of the Hawaiian novelist Kiana Davenport shows. Until recently she had a deal with Riverhead Books, a literary line that is a division of Penguin, for a Civil War novel, “The Chinese Soldier’s Daughter.” Ms. Davenport received an initial $20,000 advance for the tale, which was scheduled for publication next summer. That wasn’t enough money to survive on, so the writer cast about for another source of income, and self-published a book of old stories on Amazon. The result: Her novel has been canceled, the publisher wants its money back, and her publishing career is in jeopardy.


Publishing Perils in the Digital Age Amazon Signs Up Authors, Writing Publishers Out of Deal (see previous story)