Complete fiction: why 'the short story renaissance' is a myth

With soaring sales, viral hits like Cat Person and a cameo by Tom Hanks, the form seems to be staging a comeback. But did it ever go away?In 2017, almost 50% more short story collections were sold than in the previous year. It was the best year for short stories since 2010. Booksellers are reporting a surge in popularity for the form, commentators note publishers are buying more collections and issuing them with greater care and enthusiasm; in December the newcomer Kristen Roupenian cut five- and seven-figure deals in the UK and US after her New Yorker story “Cat Person” went viral. On top of all that, collections are being reviewed more than ever before, the Sunday Times EFG short story award (worth £30,000) has received its highest ever number of entries and the BBC national short story award continues to grow in popularity. We are experiencing the renaissance of the short story form, right?Wrong; which isn’t to say 2017 wasn’t a good year for the short story – it was, but the “renaissance of the short story” story is an old one that is rolled out year after year. Does that matter? I think it does. By getting caught up in this recurring phantom narrative, and dwelling on press release froth rather than the work being produced, we spurn the opportunity to talk about short stories in a way that might actually deepen how they are understood and engaged with by readers.How can the short story ever have time to wither, given the frequency of its rebirth?In the cases of Tom... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #books sold #complete fiction #cat person #tom hanks #short stories #short story #jojo moyes

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'A different story'

Philip Jones looks back on "maverick" Richard Johnson's nine years at the helm of Bonnier Publishing.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Left Behind'’s Jenkins Begins New Fiction Series

Jerry Jenkins, co-author of the bestselling Left Behind series and a variety of other novels and nonfiction titles, opens a new fiction series set in Jordan during an archeological dig. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lafaye to tell story of Scrooge's ghostly colleague

HarperCollins has bought a novella about Ebenezer Scrooge's ghostly business partner, Jacob Marley, and his sister. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fictional portrait of novelist Jean Rhys to Vintage

Vintage has acquired a "beautiful, heart-breaking" novel about the life of Jean Rhys by Booker-shortlisted novelist Caryl Phillips. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two debuts make Arabic Fiction prize shortlist

Two debut novels are battling it out on the shortlist for the $50,000 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, including one soon to be published by Oneworld. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder wins auction for Zoella's first non-fiction

Zoe Sugg, known as YouTube personality Zoella, has moved to Hodder & Stoughton for her first non-fiction book after the publisher won rights at auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Khaled Hosseini to release 'intensely moving' refugee story

Bloomsbury has signed the latest work from Khaled Hosseini, a "lyrical and intensely moving story" entitled Sea Prayer. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bryant pens true story of 'heroic group' of gay wartime MPs

Bloomsbury has signed a work of non-fiction by historian and MP Chris Bryant about a heroic group of gay and bisexual MPs. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ALCS calls on authors to complete income survey

The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is repeating its survey measuring authors’ incomes. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Weekly E-Ranking: Jojo Completely Fine at number one

Jojo Moyes is "still" top of the Weekly E-Book Ranking, as Still Me, the third title in her million-copy-selling Me Before You trilogy, spent a second week as the UK’s bestselling ebook. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Electric' historical fiction wins Caledonia Novel Award

Scottish novelist Elizabeth Macneal has won this year’s Caledonia Novel Award for her "masterful" historical fiction debut, The Doll Factory, set in Victorian London. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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2017 Bestselling Books in Germany: Translations Top the Fiction List

In 2017, the bestselling books in Germany show that readers are interested in translated fiction and thrillers. Nonfiction bestseller lists included more German authors than foreign authors. The post 2017 Bestselling Books in Germany: Translations Top the Fiction List appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ducks come up short in 2-1 loss to the Red Wings

Dylan Larkin and Frans Nielsen scored in the first two periods and the Detroit Red held off the Anaheim Ducks for a 2-1 win on Tuesday night. Adam Henrique pulled Anaheim within a goal with 3:54 left in the game. The Ducks pulled John Gibson with a minute remaining in regulation to have an extra... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Debuts AMP Stories for Mobile Readers

AMP Stories. Credit: GoogleGoogle has launched AMP Stories, a feature that lets publishers create content similiar to Instagram Stories, but for mobile websites.AMP, short for Accelerated Mobile Page, loads content extremely fast. The open-source project was led by Google roughly two years ago,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2018-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Perspectives’ Spring Magazine: Call for Stories on Diversity

With challenges to so many voices becoming shrill in so many markets, Publishing Perspectives' Spring Global Overview Edition will spotlight the book industry's champions of diversity and efforts to promote it. The post Publishing Perspectives’ Spring Magazine: Call for Stories on Diversity... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Mac celebrates women's fiction at 'timely' event

Pan Macmillan celebrated female writers at its annual women’s fiction party on Tuesday evening. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PubTech Connect 2018: The Flash Briefs - Extending your Digital Story

Meet three presenters who will offer a power-dose of actionable ideas about how to make a splash in the digital future. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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4th Estate wins seven-way auction for Silicon Valley story

4th Estate’s Anna Kelly has won a seven-way auction to publish a debut non-fiction book about the perils of digital start-ups. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook will prioritize local stories in your News Feed

You may start seeing more posts from local publishers popping up in your News Feed. Facebook announced today that it will begin prioritizing local news, bumping it up higher in your feed if you follow a local publisher's Page or if a friend shares a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2018-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At the Tunis Conference: On Piracy and the Myth of ‘Free Content’

'Governments need to be convinced that the scourge of piracy is a problem for them and for their countries’ evolving economies," IPA's  José Borghino tells the Arab Publishers Association's conference in Tunisia. The post At the Tunis Conference: On Piracy and the Myth of ‘Free Content’ appeared... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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