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 ]
HarperCollins has relaunched its US website, with direct to consumer print and ebook sales. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Independent bookshops need to make readers feel special in order to compete against online retailers, say book trade experts. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, the chair of Irish PEN, outlines how Ireland continues to punch above its weight in the literary world. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Led by a 65.1% increase in ebook sales, January sales jumped 43.7% in the children’s/young adult category compared to January 2013, according to figures in AAP’s StatShot program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Led by a 65.1% increase in ebook sales, January sales jumped 43.7% in the children/young adult category in 2014 compared to January 2013, according to figures in AAP’s StatShot program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In recent months, the double-digit sales growth of ebooks in English has begun to plateau, but since the Spanish-language book market tends to be around three to five years behind the English-language market, ebook sales of Spanish books in the U.S. are just beginning to gain traction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Diagram prize, honouring the year's strangest title, awarded to self-help guide to toilet etiquetteIn pictures: Thirty odd years of the Diagram prizePowered by the British public's unstoppable enthusiasm for toilet humour, the enticingly-titled How to Poo on a Date has carried off this... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Germany's small press scene is thriving, with an eclectic mix of ambitious publishers seeking out new authors, experimenting with formats and finding audiences. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
At Highlights, Jack W. Perry has been named v-p, print and ebook sales, effective March 31 Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Submissions are open for SPX’s 2014 Ignatz Awards, which recognize outstanding comics and cartooning works by small presses and creator-owned projects. Deadline for submissions is June 7. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, has made the prediction that self-published books will account for 50% of ebook sales by 2020. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
When I penned the book, I was angry and alienated. Today I realize that violence can't be used to prevent violenceForty-four years ago this month, in December 1969, I quit my job as a manager of a bookstore in New York City's Greenwich Village and began to write the Anarchist Cookbook. My... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Physical sales of Sir Alex Ferguson's memoir, My Autobiography (Hodder & Stoughton),... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
HarperCollins reported a decline in quarterly revenue with total sales down 7%, to $328 million, for the first period ended September 30, 2013. EBITDA, however, rose 8%, to $43 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amazon is offering independent bookstores Kindles to sell and a commission on ebook sales, but most have rejected the proposal as bad business and "a lie." Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
New data from Bowker Market Research provides more evidence of the slowdown in the growth of ebook sales in 2013, although the format still managed to capture more market share. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Gains in its educational technology group were not enough to offset declines in the children’s book publishing and distribution unit resulting in a 5.8% decline in total sales at Scholastic for the first quarter ended August 31. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Although the growth of ebook sales has slowed in the first six months of 2013, there were still enough gains to largely mitigate the decline in print sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
With reports showing ebook sales growth is in serious decline, Nicholas Carr examines possible reasons why and wonders if tablets aren't to blame. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Coming off of a record 2012, when sales rose 125% to just under $3 million, Pegasus Books publisher Claiborne Hancock hopes to keep the momentum going in 2013 with new hires, more titles, and more ebook sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this