''Contemporary Authors'' is a reference work that has been published by

Gale A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface wind moving at a speed between .

since 1962. The work provides short biographies and bibliographies of contemporary and near-contemporary writers and is a major source of information on over 116,000 living and deceased authors from around the world. The work is a standard in libraries and has been honored by the

American Library Association The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world. History 19th century ...

as a distinguished reference title.

Content

Entries in ''Contemporary Authors'' consist of a biography of the writer and bibliographies of their work and secondary sources covering it. Along with featuring biographies of fiction and nonfiction writers, Contemporary Authors also includes authors who write for newspapers, magazines, motion pictures, TV, and theater. Writing need not be a person's primary occupation for them to be covered in ''Contemporary Authors'';

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

and Bear Bryant have entries even though they are not mainly known as writers. The series focuses on people who have published in English, but sometimes includes writers in other languages whose works have been translated. ''Contemporary Authors'' is not selective about whom it includes. However, according to Gale, authors whose works have been published only by vanity presses are generally excluded. Most biographical data published in ''Contemporary Authors'' comes from questionnaire responses. Its staff may also conduct independent research if an entry's subject does not respond to questions. Some entries contain a "Sidelights" section where writers can offer personal commentary on their life or work.

Publication

The first edition of ''Contemporary Authors'' was released in 1962 and has since become a standard in libraries. As of 1990, it was published twice per year. ''Contemporary Authors'' has been published in five different series, each assigned its own entry in the

International Standard Serial Number An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit to uniquely identify a periodical publication (periodical), such as a magazine. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs a ...

database: the original series, not otherwise named; first revision; new revision; permanent; and autobiography series. Some of its iterations group multiple volumes into a single printed book. As of 2002, it was published both in print and on CD-ROM. Gale also provides an online version of ''Contemporary Authors'', which includes updates to previously published biographies, expanded entries, award listings, and other information. The online entries are also cross-referenced to other Gale online works, such as the Dictionary of Literary Biography.''Librarian's Guide to Online Searching: Cultivating Database Skills for Research and Instruction, 5th Edition'' by Christopher C. Brown and Suzanne S. Bell, ABC-CLIO, 2018, page 108.

Reception

In 1985,

named ''Contemporary Authors'' one of the "most distinguished reference titles" of the preceding 25 years.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Gale: Contemporary Authors (digital edition)
Publications established in 1962

Authors In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

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