Are small publishers doing all the hard work for the big ones?

These days, it is minimally staffed and funded firms who invest in new authors. The giants avoid such risk, only picking the writers once their names are madePaul McVeigh and Kirsty Logan are authors you may have heard of. Both of their debuts were published by Salt, an independent publisher. Paul McVeigh’s The Good Son was shortlisted for a bunch of awards, and won the Polari first book prize this year. Kirsty Logan’s The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales won three awards — including the Polari in 2015— and Logan had her next book published with Harvill Secker, a division of Penguin Random House. The same trajectory is likely for Paul McVeigh. It’s a familiar story.Independent publishers have existed since the 19th century; it wasn’t until the 20th and the 21st that we saw the industry dominated by a few corporations. “The Big Four” publishers – Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Hachette and HarperCollins – have grown big by buying up small publishers. Hogarth, for example, was founded by Leonard and Virginia Woolf in 1917; now it is an imprint at the Crown Publishing Group, which is in turn a part of Penguin Random House – which itself used to be Penguin and Random House before their merger in 2013. Phew. Related: 'Crazy but fantastic': Man Booker prize pitches tiny publishers into big league Related: A northern powerhouse really is coming – in publishing Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Are small publishers doing all the hard work for the big ones?"


Lifestyle book by YouTube blogger Pentland to S&S

After signing a book deal with Faber in December, YouTube blogger Louise Pentland, also known as Sprinkle of Glitter, has signed a second deal with Simon & Schuster UK. Abigail Bergstrom, commissioning editor of non-fiction at S&S, bought world rights to a “glitzy and personal”... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pritchard appointed at Myriad

Myriad has appointed Louisa Pritchard to head up its international rights, taking over from Adrian Weston. Pritchard is the founder of LPA, which sells international rights on behalf of agencies and publishers. She previously worked as head of rights at PFD, foreign rights director at Orion and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Editors predict the trends of 2015

Editors are predicting a continuing surge of debut fiction in 2015, following the success of authors like Jessie Burton and Elizabeth Healey, saying they are on the lookout for original voices and novels in translation, as well as strong homegrown talent. The trend for unreliable female... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pronovost and Ocampo replace Sharpe and Clarke at S&S Canada

Simon & Schuster has made two appointments to its editorial team in Canada, while confirming the departure of two other staff members. Nita Pronovost will now be joining the Canada operation as editorial director from her position as senior editor at Doubleday where she built “an impressive... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'More than just books': Simon & Schuster launches video classes

Authors including 'The End of Illness' David B. Agus will be offering video classes through Simon & Schuster. Topics include health, self-help, and finance. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


S&S Unveils Online Video Course Platform

Simon & Schuster has launched a new series of online courses starring S&S authors, who will "expand on and complement" their published work in video tutorials. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Gatekeepers

One day about three years after I’d left the New Yorker to become a book editor, Alberto Vitale—former CEO of Random House, Inc., a genial, intelligent, and remarkably tan businessman, originally from Italy and Olivetti—stopped me in the hall outside my office. “Profesore, how are you?” Alberto... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Reidy reflects on Simon & Schuster's 2014

Simon & Schuster has seen an "especially" productive year in business, with "encouraging" sales seen after joining US and UK subscription platforms. In an end-of-year letter to staff and authors, Carolyn Reidy, president and c.e.o of Simon & Schuster in the US, said the publisher had... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


S&S UK permits library e-lending for all titles

Simon & Schuster UK is to allow libraries to lend its full catalogue of nearly 14,000 ebook titles, effective immediately. Following what the publisher said was a "successful" pilot scheme, it is expanding access to its full catalogue of ebooks to libraries nationwide in the UK. A similar... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Selberg to leave Simon & Schuster

Ingrid Selberg, m.d of Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Division, is to leave the publisher at the end of this month. S&S said Selberg had resigned from her position after 11 years at the company for personal reasons, and that a replacement was being sought. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Donahue to Leave S&S

Suzanne Donahue, v-p and associate publisher at Simon & Schuster, will be leaving the company on December 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Moonves: Amazon Deal Better for S&S, Authors

In a presentation to analysts on December 9, at the UBS Media Conference, CBS CEO Leslie Moonves said Simon & Schuster’s new sales agreement with Amazon is better for both S&S, and authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Morris joins Tonkinson at Pan Mac

Olivia Morris will be assistant editor of Pan Macmillan’s new lifestyle imprint headed up by Carole Tonkinson.   Morris comes to Pan Macmillan from Simon & Schuster, where she held the role of Editorial Assistant. She previously worked as assistant to literary agent at Diane Banks... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Orion signs cookbook from Tucci and Blunt

Actor Stanley Tucci and literary agent Felicity Blunt have written a cookbook. The couple’s book features recipes from Tucci’s traditional Italian roots, as well as those of his British wife Blunt, who is an agent at Curtis Brown. Recipes include pasta alla bottarga, mushroom-stuffed trout,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Science of Seeing and Believing wins young people's book prize

Eye Benders: The Science of Seeing and Believing by Clive Gifford (Ivy) has won the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2014. The book, written with consultant Anil Seth and which was described by the judging panel as “both fascinating and fun”, explains how the science of optical illusions... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Cope signs Erades in first deal at S&S

Simon & Schuster has acquired a debut novel by G M Erades, in Rowan Cope's first acquisition for the publishers since she joined as editorial director for fiction. Cope signed British Commonwealth rights for To Moscow, in a pre-empt from Cathryn Summerhayes at WME. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


British publisher to translate Patrick Modianos only childrens book

Publisher Andersen Press enters the race to publish Nobel prizewinners work in English, comparing new childrens story to Hans Christian AndersenA childrens book by Patrick Modiano a mystery set in the 10th arrondissement of Paris has just been snapped up by a British publisher amid a flurry of... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Stirring Things Up

HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster had a busy few days last week: the two companies announced their quarterly earnings, received words of encouragement from their corporate owners, and made changes in their Canadian operations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Authors vie for children's award

David Walliams, Malorie Blackman and Debi Gliori are among the authors on this year's shortlist for the Red House Children's book prize. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


S&S strikes 'version of agency' deal with Amazon

Simon & Schuster in the US and Amazon have signed a new multiyear deal which is a "return to a version of agency" and is also “economically advantageous for both Simon & Schuster and its authors”. An email from Carolyn Reidy (pictured), president and c.e.o. at Simon & Schuster, said... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this