As published in the Courier Mail on Wednesday, October 6, 2010.

Unsold copies of bestseller book Freedom will be pulped and the 10,000 people who bought it offered a new copy after publisher HarperCollins discovered errors in the novel's first edition.

HarperCollins UK and International CEO Victoria Barnsley said 20,000 new copies of the book by lauded author Jonathan Franzen would be printed, identifiable by an "Oprah Book Club" logo on the front cover.

Ms Barnsley blamed a typesetting error, saying an uncorrected proof was printed instead of the final approved version.

"We are hugely appreciate of Jonathan's patience and utter professionalism over this," she said. "We are doing everything in our power to reprint the book and rush it out into the shops early next week. I would urge readers to wait until then to buy the book and we are, of course, very happy to replace any first edition copies that have been bought."

As published in the Brisbane mX on Monday, May 11, 2009 .

For a student journalist, being published can open all kinds of doors. LOUIS DAI hits the streets and logs on looking for a byline.

Seeing your name and words in print for the first time is quite a buzz. Whether you're a post-grad, under-grad, or soon-to-be student, a writer knows that exposure (of the legal kind) is a key ingredient to success - or at least getting a job.

It's the classic roundabout. You need bylines to get a job and you need a job to get the bylines. But do you?

Even for professional freelance writers, the environment is tough right now and the industry is changing in the economic climate and with the emergence of online media. It is competitive, but there are windows of opportunity out there for those with a little initiative. Sure, keeping a blog is a great [idea] but it does not guarantee an audience. So where to begin?

Vibewire Inc. A non-profit youth media and arts organisation that aims to provide an alternative channel for youth expression. They run projects, competitions, forums and anthologies and publish all sorts of things on their website including articles, creative writing, blogs, polls and forums. Worth having a look at www.vibewire.org.

The Slow Review This website publishes reviews of all things as well as articles and general criticism. A slow review can diverge from the point, with a focus on rich but useless details. In their own terms, "a truly dialogic conversation held (without hurry) over cognac and cigars". Got to www.slowreview.com for instructions on how to submit.

New Matilda An independent news site organisation that does analysis, blogs and satire. It welcomes unsolicited contributions of up to 1200 words, or you can send them a pitch by email. Solicited material is paid for. Submission guidelines are at newmatilda.com/contribute and you can email submissions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Big Issue The national mag ($5 from street vendors) accepts unsolicited contributions and pitches. Words counts are 600-650 for one page, up to 1200 for two, and submissions must be polished and fit with the publication's light, humorous style. See the guidelines at www.bigissue.org.au or you can submit or pitch to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Write Anything Pretty much what it says in the title. If you're a lover of all genres and not sure what you'd like to specialise in, this collective blog can help limber up your scribbling muscles. With fun tasks such as Fiction Friday and Creative Carnival - anything goes. Check it out at writeanything.wordpress.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Reportage An online magazine from the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism publishes news, features and photojournalism. Investigative in-depth writing is encouraged here. The magazine does accept outside material. Contributions should be made in Word document format through This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .