Writer's Report 2.0

James Frey, the author of the best-selling memoir “A Million Little Lies Pieces” has settled with only 1,700 of his unhappy readers. He’s damn lucky so few decided they wanted a refund.

BTW: James Frey isn’t to be confused with the author James N. Frey, a fiction writer and a creative writing teacher of distinction.

By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – About 1,700 people asked to be reimbursed for buying James Frey’s largely fabricated best-selling memoir, “A Million Little Pieces,” a lawyer said Friday as a judge approved a settlement with disgruntled readers.

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Holwell said the settlement was “most fair, adequate and reasonable.” It offered a refund to anyone who bought the book before Frey’s falsehoods were acknowledged. (more…)

It’s inevitable. When you get this big, this popular and this wealthy everyone wants to ride the coattails to success.

By DAVID B. CARUSO, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK – J.K. Rowling and the maker of the “Harry Potter” films are suing a small publisher in Michigan over its plans to release a book version of a popular Web site dedicated to the boy wizard.

The suit, filed Wednesday by the author and Warner Bros. in federal court in Manhattan, claims that RDR Books will infringe on Rowling’s intellectual property rights if it goes ahead with its plan to publish the 400-page “Harry Potter Lexicon” on Nov. 28. (more…)

Sure, with the National Novel Writing Monthjust getting underway, Writers Guild of America writers decide to go on strike. Do you think they’d want to spend the next 29 days writing a 50,000 word novel – for free?!

From the Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Television and movie screen writers say they will go on strike for the first time in nearly 20 years in a dispute over royalties.

Four writers told The Associated Press that Writers Guild of America President Patric Verrone made the announcement in a closed-door session Thursday, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.

“There was a unified feeling in the room. I don’t think anyone wants the strike, but people are behind the negotiation committee,” said Dave Garrett, screen writer for the movie “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo.” (more…)