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 pioneering romance ebook publisher Samhain Publishing will begin shutting down publishing operations due to a steady decline in ebook sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Republic of Consciousness prize has been launched by novelist Neil Griffiths, who intends to ‘guilt trip’ bestselling authors into contributingThe award-winning novelist Neil Griffiths is launching a new literary prize celebrating the “small presses producing brilliant and brave literary... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An important riposte to digital culture, these essays by the Italian publisher and author argue that a publisher’s list is a literary work in its own rightThis collection of essays by the Italian author and publisher Roberto Calasso, translated by Richard Dixon, is a paean to publishing. Calasso... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A 15% increase in fourth quarter sales enabled Hachette Book Group to finish 2015 with only a slight decline in revenue for the full year. An increase in the sales of print books almost offset declines of ebook sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Research by the Bookseller shows that sales for the ‘big five’ UK publishers dropped in 2015Ebook sales for the UK’s five biggest publishers fell in 2015, according to a new report in the Bookseller, collectively declining 2.4%, to 47.9m units. It is the first drop in numbers of books sold in... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On the final day of the show, small and university presses promoted their offerings to booksellers at a luncheon and closing reception. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prize-winning authors, ebook sales and pricing, startups and investments: these are some of the top book publishing stories of the week. The post Top Publishing Links of the Week: January 18-22, 2016 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chris Hughes' ownership of The New Republic looks like it will come to an end.The Facebook co-founder, in a staff memo later published on Medium, announced that he is seeking a new owner for the magazine, which he acquired in 2012."After investing a great deal of time, energy, and over $20... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2016-01-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With fewer than 1,000 stores in the UK, a number of online initiatives are aiming to help shoppers find their way back to local independent bookshopsThe rise of online retailers and ebooks have had a devastating impact on the UK’s independent bookshops. According to the Booksellers Association,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A number of big bestsellers helped to offset 'weaker' ebook sales in the third quarter, Pearson reported. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Small Press Distribution has carved out an important role in the distribution landscape, filling spaces overlooked by the bigger players through its commitment to independent and small presses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade sales in May saw some wild swings, according to AAP’s monthly StatShot program. In the adult books segment there was a decline of 5.0%, compared to the same month last year. Meanwhile, sales in children’s/young adult fell 9.3%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Both the NEIBA and NAIBA boards contacted the ABA's board to express their dissatisfaction with ABA's IndieCommerce platform, which lacks many of the features that online shoppers have come to expect. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paula Hawkins’s blockbuster debut, "The Girl on the Train," led overall ebook sales for the first quarter of the year, from January to March. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The government has launched a consultation today (5th August) on plans to give local areas the power to allow large shops to open for longer on Sundays to help compete with online retailers. The government’s department for Business, Innovation and Skills said the reforms would give metro mayors... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ben Freeman, organiser of London event, says: ‘Everyone realises the internet hasn’t killed the record industry or the publishing industry – just changed it’A fair celebrating the future of physical objects in media – from books and magazines to records and cassettes – will debut in London this... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Although total Amazon sales rose 20% in the second quarter of 2015, sales in the media group, where book and ebook sales are reported, fell 2.6%. The decline was due to foreign exchange fluctuations which dropped international media revenue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee’s long-lost novel has sold over 200,000 copies in the UK over the past weekEL James’ reign at the top of the UK book charts for the last month with her erotic bestseller Grey has been ended by a novel written in the 1950s and abandoned in a box for decades: Harper Lee’s Go Set a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The San Diego Comic-Con once again hosted 130,000 avid pop culture fans, and amid the excitement a great deal of publishing news was announced. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E L James’ Grey had its second straight 300,000-plus weekly print sale—pushing the book's combined UK ebook and physical sales over the 1 million unit mark—while the overall British print books market has experienced its first half-year rise in seven years. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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