Literary agent Andrew Wylie launches e-book venture

The literary agent's plan to produce e-books and sell them via amazon.com causes a stir in the publishing world.

Literary agent Andrew Wylie ’70, recently profiled in Harvard Magazine, has announced a publishing venture called Odyssey Editions that will offer e-book versions of works by some of the Wylie Agency's biggest clients through amazon.com's Kindle store, the New York Times reports. The Harvard Magazine profile, which the Times cites, describes Wylie's dissatisfaction with his negotiations on electronic rights with publishers and quotes him sketching out a plan for such a venture. The day after his announcement, the Times followed up with a report on the reaction of publishing houses to the plan; the most forceful counter-response came from Random House, which not only claimed ownership of the relevant e-book rights, but announced that it would stop doing business with the Wylie Agency until the matter is resolved.  

You might also like

The Year a Beat Poet Squatted at Harvard

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

How Adam Ehrlich Sachs Writes Absurd and Beautiful Fiction

The Gretel and the Great War author on how the Lampoon derailed his science career—and set him on a literary path.

Tara Menon’s Debut Novel Combines Friendship, Grief, and Climate Disaster

The popular Harvard English professor published Under Water this spring.

Most popular

Harvard Professors Leaving for Private Sector Research

Three distinguished scientists on leaving academia to advance biomedical research

Keri Russell Calls ‘The Diplomat’ a Love Letter to Public Servants

A Harvard Kennedy School event looks behind the scenes of the Netflix drama. 

To Promote Healthy Habits in Patients, Start with the Doctors

Why Harvard Medical School is training physicians to think more like coaches

Explore More From Current Issue

A girl in blue boots stands on a cliff, holding a leash attached to a glowing, digital dog.

Establishing legal responsibility for autonomous agents

Two fans celebrate in front of a TV showing a football game.

A new Harvard Kennedy School project aims to harness the power of feral fandom.

Black and white portrait of a woman with medium-length hair, smiling softly.

The outgoing executive director and Harvard Business School graduate went from dancing The Nutcracker to growing a ballet company.