On the Books: Bidding for 'Psycho' typewriter starts at $25K

Junky old typewriters aren’t typically worth a fortune—unless the screenplay for a Hollywood classic like Alfred Hitchock’s Psycho was written on it. The 1959 faded green Olympia that Joseph Stefano used to adapt Robert Bloch’s novel into the screenplay for Psycho is going up for auction on Nov. 20—and the bidding starts at an exorbitant $25,000. At least it’s still fully functional, according to the lot description.

Psycho went on to win four Oscars and carve out a place in movie history with its iconic shower murder scene. Stefano’s most notable change from the novel was his decision to begin the movie with Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane, instead of killer Norman Bates. In doing so, “Stefano changed the drift of the audience’s affections, and changed film history in the process: it was the first time a leading lady had been murdered within the first 20 minutes of a movie,” writes The Telegraph.

British comedian Eddie Izzard is writing a memoir to be published by Blue Rider Press (a Penguin Group imprint) in Winter 2015-2016. The book will document his journey from performing on the streets of London to selling out standup tours and appearing in films like Ocean’s 12, Ocean’s 13 and Across the Universe. “Eddie Izzard’s brilliant, and brilliantly funny, narrative style lends itself perfectly to the printed page,” said Executive Editor Sarah Hochman. [GalleyCat]

Barnes & Noble has created B&N Sync Up, a program that will allow customers to buy the digital editions of select titles for $4.99 each after purchasing the print editions. The company has also expanded the services it provides to self-published authors. Nook Press Print Service will allow authors to “create their own print books and have them shipped to an author’s home about one week after placing an order,” reports Publishers Weekly.