Some publishers have instituted new,

Cory Doctorow 8:26 pm Mon Oct 29, 2001

Some publishers have instituted new, fear-of-terrorism policies that will make for even greater delays in the handling of unsolicited manuscripts. I woulda said that the life of a hopeful, unpublished novelist couldn't get any more pathetic, but I was wrong. Send an ms to an editor at HarperCollins, and you've no guarantee that it (or any of your query letters) will ever be opened.

HarperCollins, owned by the News Corporation, has been asked by management to modify its submission policy as a result of an anthrax scare experienced by the New York Post in the same corporate group. As before, unsolicited submissions sent to the general HarperCollins Children's Book department will not be considered, but effective October 15 they are being discarded instead of returned. Also any mail received without a return address will be discarded by the mailroom immediately. Mail, including unsolicited submissions, addressed to a specific editor will be delivered to him or her. Whether editors open it if they do not know the sender, however, will be left to their individual judgment. That policy is to be reevaluated every month or so, and any changes will be reported as soon as possible.

(From a listserv) Discuss

Amazon used a China firm on U.S. blacklist for thermal cameras to monitor workers for COVID-19 fever

• Amazon's new Chinese thermal spycam vendor was blacklisted by U.S. over allegations it helped China detain and monitor Uighurs and other Muslim minorities READ THE REST
Financial Times journalist Mark Di Stefano accused of accessing private Zoom meetings, then publishing the information

Mark Di Stefano of the Financial Times is accused by The Independent of accessing private Zoom meetings held by The Independent and The Evening Standard as journalists were learning how… READ THE REST
Hackers tried to break into WHO, which faces more than two-fold increase in cyberattacks

Hackers tried to break into the World Health Organization earlier in March, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread, Reuters reports. Security experts blame an advanced cyber-espionage hacker group known as DarkHotel.… READ THE REST
Short Post, just one paragraph

Dessert cheesecake wafer bear claw fruitcake. Fruitcake chupa chups donut candy canes marzipan. Apple pie sweet roll tart chocolate cake macaroon marshmallow carrot cake gummi bears sweet. Pastry sugar plum… READ THE REST
Save 50% on a 1-year subscription to Dashlane's premium password manager

We all know vital information about ourselves and our private digital accounts can be compromised by cybercriminals. However, many would be frightened to know just how compromised they and their… READ THE REST
The Bite Helper removes the itch of a mosquito bite in seconds

While mosquitoes have certainly earned their title as the deadliest animal on earth, their impact on most of our lives is usually a lot less consequential. But even though they… READ THE REST