Coronavirus has left small publishers desperately fighting for survival

A survey of indie presses shows that 60% fear they could be out of business by the autumn, writes Galley Beggar Press cofounder Sam JordisonOver the past few years, the success of independent publishers such as Fitzcarraldo, And Other Stories, Bluemooose and Influx Press has been something to behold. They have won prizes, engaged readers and published innovative and important books. Now that wonderful literary flowering is in danger. A survey on the impact of Covid-19 on small presses, carried out by the Bookseller and writer development charity Spread the Word, reveals that 60% of the small presses polled fear they could be out of business by the autumn, 75% don’t know if they will make it beyond March next year, while 85% of the publishers have seen sales drop by more than half.Small presses have been hit especially hard because they are more dependent on physical sales in bookstores, rather than online retailers or ebook sales. I know, because my publisher, Galley Beggar Press, has also seen a big chunk of its income disappear. One of the great strengths of our kind of publishing is that we have a real connection with dedicated readers who love books as physical objects, readers who have an equally strong connection with booksellers. A great deal of what we do relies on the enthusiasm and personal recommendations of those heroes of our trade whose shops Covid-19 has closed. We have lost many of our best advocates, not to mention the most practical way of getting books... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-15 06:00:32 UTC ]
News tagged with: #small presses #sales drop #physical sales #online retailers #ebook sales #real connection #physical objects #great deal #bookseller

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Coronavirus has left small publishers desperately fighting for survival'


Coronavirus has left small publishers desperately fighting for survival

A survey of indie presses shows that 60% fear they could be out of business by the autumn, writes Galley Beggar Press cofounder Sam JordisonOver the past few years, the success of independent publishers such as Fitzcarraldo, And Other Stories, Bluemooose and Influx Press has been something to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-15 06:00:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #small presses #sales drop #physical sales #online retailers #ebook sales #real connection #physical objects #great deal #bookseller


Majority of small publishers fear closure in wake of coronavirus

Survey shows 60% expect the impact of the pandemic may put them out of business, prompting calls for concerted helpMore than half of the UK’s small publishers fear they could be out of business by the autumn as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to research by the Bookseller, which... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-05-07 15:02:20 UTC ]
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Why Toni Morrison Left Publishing

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Hanif Kureishi to publish memoir about accident that left him paralysed

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Small Press Distributors Survive Through Transformation

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Publishing Sales Had Small Gain in January

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Between Grief and Fighting for Survival with Kat Chow

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Richard Charkin: Notes From a Small Publisher in London

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-08-12 17:07:48 UTC ]
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Sweet Cherry Publishing: Life for Leicester children’s indie after Nibbies Small Press triumph

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