Publishers Weekly Stories

I am the West Coast correspondent for Publishers Weekly, and I like to share my stories on this page…

Formerly Self-Published Italian Author Lands Netflix Series

27-year-old Antonio Dikele Distefano is the child of Angolan immigrants, and his formerly self-published novels explore the lives the children of immigrants. “I show Italian kids that there is not only one way of being black and that our reality is different from what is shown in TV … Second-generation children born in Italy to African parents who moved to Italy are isolated and considered suspicious by the Italian kids.”

The Netflix Literary Connection
The streaming service is on a book-buying spree as it seeks more content for its ever-growing global subscriber base. I interviewed a few executives at Netflix about how adaptation works at the company.

Community Writing Sites Draw Hollywood Attention
In their search for material, producers are forging new relationships with online platforms. From the Writing Prompts subreddit to Wattpad to CryptTV, I spoke with the people leading the best community writing platforms.

Steven Rowley Tackles Jackie O’s Book Biz Years In His New Novel
Steven Rowley’s The Editor tells the story of a struggling writer whose novel is acquired by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I profiled Rowley on the book’s release, exploring a couple literary sites in Los Angeles at the same time.

The Library Saved My Life
Libraries have long been a place of refuge for LGBTQ people. “When I was coming to terms with my sexuality, I often felt like I needed to seek out sanctuary outside of my house, and the library was the first place I went,” says Camille Perri, author of the 2016 novel The Assistants. “It was a place that I could go and seek out information, and look for answers to questions that maybe I was too afraid to ask another person.”

California Publishers Champion Immigrant Stories
As a federal crackdown on undocumented immigrants spreads across the country, California publishers have responded with literary projects that breach the borders of traditional publishing.

Bitcoin at Meltdown Comics
A new wave of bitcoin companies is making it easier for booksellers and other retailers to adopt the digital currency without fear of volatility, however.

Dan Brown Shares His Secrets
Dan Brown fans have waited four years for a new book to decode. At last, Origin has been announced for publication on October 3, one of publishing’s most anticipated (and most secretive) events. BookCon caught up with Brown, uncovering a few clues about the new book.

Lemony Snicket Creator Gets Steamy: Daniel Handler
Daniel Handler, the novelist who wrote 13 A Series of Unfortunate Events books under the pen name of Lemony Snicket, found inspiration for his new novel by eavesdropping on teenagers.