BOOK NEWS

• Somehow the National Book Awards screwed up.  Instead of announcing "Chime" by Franny Billingsley to this years shortlist, "Shine" by Lauren Myracle was named.  The error has caused all sorts of drama resulting in Myracle withdrawing her book from the list.  You can also check out an irate Libba Bray's take on the whole matter.

• Roaming around Comic Con, I came across a table for Book Country, a free community for readers and writers.  It's a place to discover new works and new authors of genre fiction, learn about the industry, and give and receive constructive criticism.  It's free to join and it's also a subsidiary of Penguin Group, although not a backdoor for unsolicited manuscripts.  

• Author Doranna Durgin is having trouble with Canadian Publisher, Fitzhenry & Whiteside over who owns the rights to Durgin's novel, Dun Lady's Jess.  Basically the publishers needed to keep the book in print "through regular trade channels" or else the rights revert back to the author.  Since the book is no longer being offered through these channels, Durgin has asked for her rights back.  The publishers are happy to comply if she buys up all the copies the publisher has stored in their warehouse.

• Digital delivery of comic books was much discussed at Comic Con this year.  You can read all about it and more at Publishers Weekly.  Comic News Stands Out From the Crowds at New York Comic Con 2011

• Speaking of comics, things are really heating up over this Amazon/Kindle Fire/DC thing.  Two weeks ago, Barnes and Noble announced they would no longer carry any DC book that they were not allowed to also sell digitally.  Books-A-Million followed suit a week later.  This is like watching a fight between Mechagodzilla, Super-Mechagodzilla, and Millennium Mechagodzilla.  Sadly, it's the fans who lose out... at least the fans who own a Nook or iPad.  Kindle-owning fans - you're good.  Bookstore Drop Comics After Amazon deal with DC

• Amazon sure is ruffling a lot of feathers in the book world.  122 books will be released under its new publishing program this fall.  According to reports, the company is also aggressively pursuing some of the publishing world's most successful authors.  The NY Times has the skinny here.  Then head over to Chasing Ray where Colleen Mondor calls "bullshit" and adds her own rebuttal to the Times' piece.

• And because Amazon has been a busy busy bee, here's another article on Amazon's plan to enter the Japanese book market.