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 ]
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Oscar Dystel, an early pioneer of mass market paperbacks and one-time CEO of Bantam Books, passed away at the age of 101. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you're hoping to pre-order books by J.K. Rowling, Michael Connelly and other Hachette Book Group authors, you'll have to go somewhere besides Amazon.com. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Virago Modern Classics has acquired three titles by Joan Aiken for its children’s list.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Image celebrates 60 years; Gary Chapman endows chair at Moody; Cambridge Bibles back to Cambridge; awards and honors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette author Jeffery Deaver among those speaking out against Amazon's decision to stop selling certain Hachette titlesStray punches in a corporate slugfest knocked spectacles from authors noses and left readers with black eyes this week, after Amazon, the online retailer, stopped selling... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Christian self-publisher will acquire a PR firm to enhance its services to authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW will introduce BookLife, a new website for self-publishers, at this year’s BookExpo America. Simultaneously, we are integrating reviews of self-published books into our regular review coverage. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite endess choice, the books, films and music industries can't escape domination by a handful of monster hitsA monster lays waste to America's cities, smashing skyscrapers and tearing up passenger trains. It's the familiar tale of Godzilla, a mutant lizard last seen rampaging through cinemas... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-05-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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So, you've written your book. Now what? Find out with 'Publishing 101,' a new ebook from 'Publishers Weekly' that offers a no-nonsense perspective on how publishing works, and what writers can do to make their own projects take off. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For publishers, negotiating terms of sale with Amazon has always been difficult. But reports last week of Amazon’s hardball tactics with the Hachette Book Group suggest that this year’s negotiations could be among the most brutal yet. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crowdfunding, and Kickstarter in particular, continue to make inroads in book publishing, providing financing for everything from one-off projects to support for entire lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nick Hern Books will publish a book from Monty Python member Michael Palin, ahead of the comedy... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPPY award-winners announced, a new kids' imprint at Barbour, a website for all things Amish, the popes in pictures and much more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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France's literary market has great potential, yet big firms remain reluctant to learn the language of international rights tradingSix thousand languages are spoken worldwide, but few have a market for books. French is the fifth-largest language pool, coming after Chinese, English, Spanish and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Canadian province has been a stealthy focus for French publishers, but its booksellers are also looking towards ParisThe Canadian province of Quebec has about 6 million French-speaking inhabitants. In comparison there are only 4.2 million French-speakers in Belgium. French publishers have... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the issues in dispute between Amazon and the Hachette Book Group are negotiations over new ebook terms, sources familiar with the matter said. And publishers also see the latest fight with Amazon as part of an ongoing battle to retain retail diversity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The International Publishers’ Association (IPA) and the Federation of European Publishers (... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IDW Publishing announced plans to reprint the entire run of classic Parker prose novels, all of which will feature new painted illustrations by acclaimed comics artist Darwyn Cooke. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Competition from digital editions has put pressure on more than one bricks-and-mortar retailer, and that trend is largely behind the decision by Hastings Entertainment to find a merger partner, according to documents filed by the company in connection with its pending acquisition by Joel... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Subscription ebook service Oyster announced that it has added about 500 new publisher partners and its library of ebooks has increased to more than 500,000 titles, including an expanded partnership with HarperCollins. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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