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 ]
The Bookseller will begin this week to republish its May and June previews showcasing titles that have been rescheduled, as a result of the lockdown, as well as those that are still being published during those months. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-04 16:17:03 UTC ]
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The Bookseller and writer development charity Spread the Word have launched a survey of small independent presses to assess the financial pressures they are under as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-04 09:12:42 UTC ]
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Amazon has been revealed as the mystery donor which pledged £250,000 to a fundraising drive to help booksellers impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-23 04:37:57 UTC ]
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The Bookseller is to launch a series of weekly Twitter conversations with the authors shortlisted for this year's British Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-22 18:15:25 UTC ]
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An hour’s drive away from my sleepy college town, there is a magical place. It is the place my friends and I would run away to whenever we were having a rough go of it, or quite frankly, whenever we just didn’t feel like going to class. (If any of my professors are reading this… […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-17 19:16:30 UTC ]
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Higher paid staff at Pan Macmillan have been asked to volunteer for a pay reduction and employees at its distribution arm will be furloughed as the publisher unveiled measures to help “safeguard” its business during the Covid-19 pandemic. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-03 10:15:37 UTC ]
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A surge in online sales at Powell's Books in Portland, Ore., has allowed the bookseller to rehire 49 previously laid off union employees, ILWU Local 5 has confirmed. They are now working alongside more than 50 people in management to fulfill orders. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-30 04:00:00 UTC ]
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At the coronavirus outbreak reshapes our industry, The Bookseller is inviting staff members from across the book trade to share their experiences of working during the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-24 12:47:26 UTC ]
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A bookseller at BookPeople reflects on a week of online and curbside fulfillment. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-20 12:00:32 UTC ]
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While some regional indie bookseller organizations have canceled spring forum meetings, others are creatively tweaking schedules to put on unique events, ranging from virtual gatherings to mini-forums. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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As more and more authors potentially feel disenfranchised by the larger counterparts, or feel like they never had a shot in the first place, small presses are uniquely positioned to get writers to market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-10 21:57:10 UTC ]
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A bookseller fights the urge to require parents to check their cell phones at the door during story time. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-02 13:00:00 UTC ]
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Booker shortlisted author and former Blackwell's bookseller Daisy Johnson has joined the judging panel for the Vintage Independent Bookseller of the Year Award 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-27 22:21:00 UTC ]
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Revenue at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media fell 9.9% in 2019, to $180.0 million, and the division had a net loss of $8.1 million, compared to net income of $2.4 million in 2018. A decline in licensing income was cited as the main reason for the sales drop. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-27 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A court in eastern China has sentenced a Swedish seller of books that took a skeptical look at the ruling Communist Party to 10 years in prison for "illegally providing intelligence overseas," in a further sign of Beijing's hard line toward its... Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2020-02-25 13:14:25 UTC ]
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Mr. Gui, a Chinese-born Swedish citizen, ran a publishing house that appeared to anger the Communist Party Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-02-25 10:07:44 UTC ]
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Gui Minhai, a Chinese-born Swedish citizen, ran a publishing house that appeared to anger the Communist Party Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-02-25 06:02:16 UTC ]
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Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai has been jailed for 10 years by a Chinese court for “illegally providing intelligence overseas”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-24 22:55:21 UTC ]
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Publisher Eva Bonnier and author David Lagercrantz are among the signatories of an open letter calling for the release of Gui Minhai, a bookseller imprisoned in China. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-20 16:34:50 UTC ]
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Interviews Veronica Esposito Ottilie Mulzet is the principal English-language translator of Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, winner of numerous international honors. Together, they received the 2019 National Book Award in Translation for Mulzet’s... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2020-02-20 14:05:36 UTC ]
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