AppNewser editor Dianna Dilworth is covering the O’Reilly Tools of Change Author Revolution conference in New York, collecting publishing intelligence for our readers.

Her first dispatch focused on Jason Ashlock‘s thoughts about the future of literary agents. Here’s an excerpt:

Ashlock, the founder of Movable Type Management, spoke about his three-pronged approach to representing authors in the modern publishing world. First, he suggested that “publishing is a team sport.” He said that the radical mediator agent should not be narrow but should be expansive and looking at any possible intermediaries that will connect readers with authors. He said that agents in today’s marketplace should think of themselves in a business development position, as opposed to a sales positions. He advised thinking about lifespans as opposed to title-by-title marketing.

AppNewser editor Dianna Dilworth has been covering Digital Book World 2013 all day, bringing back some digital reading intelligence for our readers.

Carnegie Mellon University IT & marketing professor Michael D. Smith talked about digital book piracy: “‘Piracy harms sales,’ he said, claiming that while 3 studies have been published suggested that piracy doesn’t hurt sales, 25 others have shown that piracy is bad for sales. ‘There are options to use legitimate distribution channels to convince people who have stolen your content to buy it.’”

Don’t forget to explore our list of practical resources for publishers: how to fight eBook pirates.

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GalleyCat contributor and eBookNewser editor Dianna Dilworth will be covering the National Book Awards tonight at Cipriani Wall Street. Follow her coverage live on our GalleyCat Twitter feed and on this blog. Below, we’ve linked to free samples of all the National Book Awards finalists.

At the ceremony three years ago, this GalleyCat editor interviewed Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell, NBA finalist Salvatore Scibona, NBA executive director Harold Augenbraum and literary blogger Edward Champion about the Great Recession (video embedded above). The stock market had just plunged 400 points and writers gathered for the awards a few blocks from the New York Stock Exchange.

This year, the city is still divided over Occupy Wall Street eviction and readers around the country wonder about the future Occupy Wall Street library. It should make for an interesting evening.

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