A heart-warming love letter to books and bookshops, by an amenable fellow turned antisocial old misanthrope“I was in here two years ago and you had a book by Roger Penrose. Do you know what happened to it?” Shaun Bythell – owner of the Book Shop in Wigtown, Galloway – has 100,000 books in stock, sells 20,000 a year, and has handled nearly 1m second-hand books since he bought the shop in 2001. Unsurprisingly, the Roger Penrose volume had not stuck in his mind.Before he entered the book trade at the tender age of 31, he was “amenable and friendly”. Now, after many years of fielding bizarre questions, constant haggling over prices (why is it “acceptable to try to screw the profit out of struggling small businesses” but not supermarkets?), and struggling to survive despite Amazon’s “icy grip” on bookselling, he has been forced to embrace the stereotype of the “impatient, intolerant, antisocial proprietor”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2019-08-24 10:58:38 UTC ]
Close to 70 children’s book creators will be in Pittsburgh to meet with booksellers at educational sessions, signings, and receptions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the stories making news this week: veteran bookseller and library advocate Tim Coates releases a reader-focused survey; more drama over Drag Queen Storytimes; and what to expect from all the talk of antitrust action in the tech sector. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Booksellers weigh in on the controversial issue of publishers postponing and pulling books in response to criticism. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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MVB US is offering a special promotion to independent booksellers who want to take advantage of the company's Pubeasy and Pubnet services for direct ordering and communication with publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In a seismic shift for the book trade, Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Barnes & Noble in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $683m (£537m), including the assumption of debt. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-09 06:45:26 UTC ]
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As Hachette UK releases its first Ethnicity Pay Gap report, Philip Jones reflects on the book trade's latest efforts to hire and publish inclusively. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gill Books has bought Irish indie publisher the Collins Press for an undisclosed sum after its owners announced their retirement following 30 years in the book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The reaction to the exposure of the bestselling American author as a serial liar reveals more about our own insecurities than his duplicityWhat’s the difference between something going viral and a storm in a teacup? Not an awful lot, it often seems to me. Last week, everyone in publishing and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wrapping up another year of publishing conferences, FutureBook Live in London will try to move attendees 'out of their comfort zone' amid the uncertainties of the UK market's future. The post FutureBook Live 2018: ‘Putting a Rocket Up the Book Trade’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-11-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Voice and artificial intelligence are the most likely candidates to further disrupt the book business, according to the results of a survey of the book trade's most innovative, the FutureBook 40, conducted ahead of FutureBook Live, The Bookseller's publishing conference taking place on 30th... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A proprietor’s journey from ‘amenable and friendly’ to ‘intolerant and antisocial’According to George Orwell, “there are always plenty of not quite certifiable lunatics walking the streets and they tend to gravitate towards bookshops”. Bythell’s diary suggests that not much has changed, in this... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2018-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A literary agency in Turkey is calling on publishers and agents around the world to support the country's book trade with their "understanding" following the economic crisis and fall of the lira. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Combined North American sales of graphic novels and periodical comics declined about 6.5% to $1.01 billion in 2017, although graphic novel sales via the book trade were essentially flat. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The annual list of the book trade’s next generation features a number of youngsters who are already right at the heart of the contemporary book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a signal of the continuing growth of the category in the book trade, graphic novel publishers announced new titles and had a lively presence at BookExpo, BookCon, and at the inaugural New York Rights Fair. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Members of the book trade are supporting author Charles Sprawson with a fundraising iniative to raise money for care fees, as Vintage prepares to reissue his “cult swimming classic” Haunts of the Black Masseur. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The book trade has reacted with shock and dismay to the “tragedy” that Quick Reads has been scrapped for next year after organisers struggled to find sponsorship. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Members of the book trade braved the hottest London Marathon in history yesterday in the name of charity. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Increasing the number of children and families who enjoy reading is the Holy Grail for BookTrust and the book trade. New research shines a light on why children read (and why others don’t read), and the findings could be transformative, says Diana Gerald. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The book trade has wrestled with its gender pay gap revelations this week, with the overall trend emerging that despite women forming more of the workforce in companies across the sector, it is men who dominate the most senior positions and attract the highest pay and bonuses. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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