Is this a good idea?

Simon & Schuster is producing a new online “get published” site. It’s called First Chapters and is being touted as a web-based “American Idol for books”. Basically, unpublished authors submit works, then everyone votes, etc., etc. After weeks of narrowing the field a panel of judges awards the winner $5,000 and a publishing contract.

Here’s the NY Times full article.

I guess any publicity for the publishing industry is good. But this just seems like a convoluted way of arriving at a book with mass appeal via the “lowest common denominator”.

I’ll check in once the field has been cut to the finalists. The whole point of relying on publishers and editors is so they cut through all the crap for me and I don’t have to waste time wading through stuff that’s not any good.

Just my type…

of blog. There have been little rumblings over the past six months about the upcoming Helvetica documentary, but never anything official that you could sink your teeth into and get excited about.

But now Gary Hustwit, director of the film, has started his own blog to help all the typophiles of the world keep pace. I have to say I’m pretty stoked about the film. I’m anxious to see all the interviews with the type designers. I hope it’s heavy on the “creative process” discussion and lighter on the “history of type” stuff.

Hat tip fade theory for the link.

Books, Publishing and Birmingham